HOPE — Bail has been increased substantially for a Hope woman charged with manslaughter and operating under the influence for allegedly causing a head-on crash in Woolwich that killed an elderly couple and injured six children riding in her car.
Danielle R. Ward, 34, made her initial court appearance Friday via video conference from the Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset.
District Court Judge Patricia Worth raised her bail to $50,000 cash but added a second option for Ward to be released if she can post $100,000 in property as surety. Bail initially was set last week at $10,000 cash.
District Attorney Jonathan Liberman said the district attorney’s office requested the higher bail based on Ward’s criminal history and the circumstances of the case.
Ward remained at the jail Monday. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 30 in Sagadahoc County. Ward has yet to retain or have an attorney appointed for her.
Ward was indicted last week by the Sagadahoc County grand jury on two counts of manslaughter, three counts of aggravated criminal operating under the influence, two counts of driving to endanger and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
The crash occurred Jan. 21 on Route 1 just north of the Taste of Maine Restaurant.
The crash claimed the lives of Robert S. Martin, 70, and his wife, Carolyn W. Martin, 76, both of Woolwich. Robert Martin died at the scene and Carolyn Martin died en route to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston via a LifeFlight helicopter.
Robert Martin was driving a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV south on Route 1 when the 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe driven by Ward and carrying six children as passengers veered into the oncoming lane, the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office reported. The children ranged in age from 5 to 12. Two of the children were Ward’s.
The maximum sentence for manslaughter in Maine is 30 years in prison.
The endangering the welfare of a child charges include one for her children and one for the other children, according to the prosecutor.
All seven people in Ward’s car were taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland. The 5-year-old suffered a broken back, an 11-year-old had internal bleeding, a 12-year-old complained of abdominal pain, a 10-year-old had head trauma, a 7-year-old had an abdominal injury, and a 9-year-old had a fractured knee, according to an affidavit filed in court by the sheriff’s office.
Ward’s driving record, listed in the police affidavit, included 13 convictions and six crashes in the past 11 years. Those convictions included two for operating under the influence, in 2008 and 2013, according to the affidavit.
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