Charges filed in accident that killed six teenagers

Jace Radke

Thursday, April 13, 2000 | 11:18 a.m.

A 21-year-old woman has been indicted on 21 charges in connection with a March accident that took the lives of six teenagers as they picked up trash along Interstate 15.

A Clark County grand jury indicted Jessica Williams Wednesday on six counts of driving under the influence of a controlled or prohibited substance with death resulting, six counts of reckless driving, six counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count each of possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance and being under the influence of a controlled substance.

Deputy District Attorney Bruce Nelson said the marijuana in Williams' system, tested within 90 minutes of the accident, was over the legal limit. Testimony also was offered that Williams had taken the drug Ecstasy.

Under a new law that went into effect Oct. 1, anyone driving with two nanograms or more of marijuana per milliliter of blood is presumed to be under the influence of the drug.

"She had five nanograms in her system," Nelson said.

Williams is accused of driving a minivan from the southbound lanes of I-15 into the center median of the freeway near the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 19. Six teens on a Clark County work crew were hit by the van, with five dying at the scene and another dying hours later at University Medical Center.

Williams told the Nevada Highway Patrol that she had smoked marijuana about two hours before the accident.

During a bail hearing before District Judge Lee Gates, prosecutors said that Williams' passenger that day, Tania Ozarek-Smith, told the grand jury that Williams took the drug Ecstasy to perk her up because she had been up all night.

"They then went to the Valley of Fire, smoked marijuana and the accident occurred on their way back," said Deputy District Attorney James Hartsell, who along with Chief Deputy District Attorney Gary Booker presented evidence to the grand jury.

Williams, who lives in Littlefield, Ariz., and Las Vegas, remains in the Clark County Detention Center on a $5 million bail.

Those convicted of driving under the influence of a controlled substance or a prohibited substance are not eligible for probation, and the crimes are punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a $2,000 to $5,000 fine on each count, Booker said.

Reckless driving is punishable by probation or one to five years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine. People convicted of involuntary manslaughter are also eligible for probation or one to four years in prison.

Jace Radke is a reporter for the Las Vegas Sun. He can be reached at (702) 259-2318 or by e-mail at jace@lasvegassun.com.

Reporter Ed Koch contributed to this report.