Woman charged months after crash that killed teacher, mother of 6

A woman has been charged with impaired driving two months after a crash that killed a local first grade teacher.

Stephanie Church waived extradition Monday after she was arrested on a warrant and charged with impaired driving resulting in death and impaired driving that caused substantial bodily harm, according to court documents.

Church is accused of running a stop sign May 23 near East Bonanza Road and Fogg Street, smashing into Tricia Young’s Honda Civic.

Young, a 47-year-old mother of six, died at University Medical Center, police said. Her son Kaidence Young, 18, was injured in the crash.

Las Vegas police officer Misael Parra said Monday that officers conducted a blood draw the day of the crash, received the results the next day and submitted the case to the district attorney’s office on May 27. The office did not file charges until Aug. 10.

“She should have been arrested the day of the (crash),” Young’s best friend, Karri Donham, wrote in a message to the Review-Journal. “Maybe someday we all can find closure for right now we just want her to be held accountable and prosecuted to the full extent of the law!”

The district attorney’s office did not reply to a request for comment. Metro declined to say where Church was being extradited from.

In a message to the Review-Journal, Dominic Young wrote: “My younger brother Kaidence had to graduate high school without my mom there to guide and support him through his young adult life. My little sister Jaeden started her first day of high school without my mom there to help with homework, sports, or advice.”

Young was a grandmother to seven children, whom she used to babysit often, Dominic Young said. She had worked at Watson Elementary School in North Las Vegas for at least three years, though she had worked in the Clark County School District for at least 18 years.

Former students have told Young’s children how much of an impact she had on them since her death, Dominic Young wrote.

“Since the car accident my siblings and I have all had to grow up sooner than we should have to step up and assume the role of parent for each other,” he wrote. “When we mess up or fall over there is no ‘mom’s house’ to go to or person to call to ask for help.”

Dominic Young and Donham expressed their concerns that Church was suspected of impaired driving and walked free for more than two months after the crash.

“The damage done to our family is something that can not be fixed,” Dominic Young wrote. “We are relying on the system now to give justice to Tricia’s family, friends, students and so much more.”

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.