Sisters sentenced to prison in DUI crash that killed 2 young girls
Two sisters were sentenced to prison on Thursday for a DUI crash that killed one woman’s two young nieces in December 2022.
Kaleah Manning, 27, was accused of driving her car off of the roadway, crashing into a light pole and two trees, near Scott Robinson Boulevard and Monte Alban Drive on Dec. 11, 2022. Inside the car was Manning’s sister, Raenysha Washington, 25, and Washington’s children, 3-year-old Taylor Wilmer and 2-year-old Rose Wilmer.
Taylor and Rose were not in child safety seats in the car, police said. Rose died at the scene, while Taylor died the next day at University Medical Center.
Manning pleaded guilty in February to two counts of DUI resulting in death, and Washington pleaded guilty to two counts of child abuse, neglect or endangerment, court records show.
On Thursday, District Judge Erika Mendoza sentenced Manning to between three and 10 years behind bars, said Deputy District Attorney Yu Meng. Washington was sentenced to one year in prison, followed by five years probation.
Manning and Washington’s attorney, Dan Winder, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Following the crash, Manning repeatedly told police that the car’s power steering “pulled her to the left,” according to an arrest report.
Blood samples from Manning that were taken about two hours after the crash showed she had a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit. Manning also admitted to drinking two shots of tequila, and police noted she had a strong smell of alcohol, according to the report.
Washington told police that she knew it was not OK to put her daughters in a car with no child safety seats, but since it was not her car, “she couldn’t argue.” She also said that she witness her sister and a friend consume what she “believed” was an entire bottle of tequila that night.
In a sentencing memorandum, Winder wrote that Washington has “shown a resilience and a commitment to turning her life around” since the crash. Since the crash, she has had a young son and “an infant whom she has dedicated herself to,” Winder wrote.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240.