The St. Albans woman who caused a deadly two-car crash on Monday, October 26 allegedly admitted to police that she smoked crack, did heroin and drank an alcoholic beverage on the day of the collision, according to the Queens District Attorney’s (DA) office.
Sheila Bethea, 45, was arraigned on Wednesday, October 28 and charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter; two counts of second-degree assault; three counts of third-degree assault; and five counts of endangering the welfare of a child. She lost control of her minivan and crossed a double-yellow line, resulting in the death of two passengers – 15-year-old Katherine Wills and five-year-old Melissa Elh-Mirra.
The accident, which occurred around 5 p.m. near the intersection of Dunkirk Street and Liberty Avenue in St. Albans, led to the hospitalization of Bethea’s four other passengers, including three girls between the ages of five and 11, as well as Bethea herself, a 43-year-old passenger and the driver of the other vehicle involved.
Reports said the Mazda driven by Bethea had no car seats for her younger passengers and in a notice of statement filed at her arraignment, Bethea allegedly admitted that she was not aware that such safety regulations applied to five-year-olds.
In a statement released by his office, Queens DA Richard Brown said it is alleged that the minivan was traveling at a high rate of speed – an allegation that was later substantiated by Bethea – that its middle row of seats was missing and that at least one child was sitting on the vehicle’s floor at the time of the collision.
In her notice of statement, Bethea also allegedly made an oral admission to police that she had smoked crack cocaine around 1 or 2 a.m. on the morning of the crash; that she had done heroin around 9 a.m. and that she had consumed one alcoholic drink around noon.
Additionally, Bethea admitted that she lost control of her vehicle because there was a “donut” as the back wheel.
If convicted, she faces up to 15 years in prison.
