Monica Elizabeth Manire Byron, Georgia woman charged with six counts of vehicular homicide in I-85 Gwinnett crash that killed six women of an addiction facility. Questions unanswered.
A 32 year old woman has been charged with vehicular homicide after a van she was driving en route to an addiction facility tipped over, bursting into flames and killing six female patients of an Atlanta clinic.
Monica Elizabeth Manire of Byron, Georgia, is thought to have caused the deadly weekend accident after investigators say she made a reckless change of lanes from from I-85 to I-985 in Suwanee which caused the van she was driving to flip on its side.
Police say, Mainire overcorrected the 19-year-old van upon having missed the split from I-85 onto I-985 north. The van in turn flipped and caught on fire AJC reported.
‘It appears that the van obviously couldn’t handle the overcompensation of the heavy turn,’ said Corporal Collin Flynn of the Gwinnett County Police Department.
Flynn said GCPD investigators had interviewed survivors and witnesses of the crash and now believe that Manire made a ‘reckless’ last second lane change from I-85 to I-985 on Saturday night, causing the van to flipped with 16 people inside.
Six people were killed and 10 others were injured when the passenger van they were in rolled over in the crash near the I-985 split Saturday.
‘We are going to look into whether or not the van was overloaded, either at capacity for people or capacity for weight,’ Flynn said.
Police released the names of the six victims:
- Alishia Carroll, 34, from Columbus
- Kristie Whitfield, 44, from Mount Airy
- Ashleigh Paris, 26, from Kennesaw
- Tina Rice, 53, from Atlanta
- Normisha Monroe, 38, from Norcross
- Rose Patrick, 34, from Ellabell
Manire upon her arrest was charged with six counts of vehicular homicide, along with reckless driving, improper lane change and other charges.
Gwinnett County police have not confirmed whether Manire was a patient or employee of the We Are Living Proof facility.
It remained unclear how Manire, who according to sources cited by WSB-TV was not an employee of the ‘We are Living Proof’ addiction facility came to be a designated driver.
We Are Living Proof has not responded to multiple requests for comment since the crash, albeit to offer condolences earlier in the week.
Cumbersome vehicle
Read a statement released by the facility: ‘We are deeply saddened by the lives lost in Saturday evening’s tragic accident. We ask that you join us in prayer for the families and loved ones of the ladies we lost as well as the survivors.’
The shell of the 15-passenger 2002 Dodge Ram van was taken into evidence by Gwinnett police. Organizations including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have previously expressed concerns about risks presented by similar vehicles.
‘These cumbersome vehicles can pose a safety risk to inexperienced van drivers and other road users,’ the NHTSA said.
The NHTSA said drivers should ‘never allow more than 15 people to ride in a 15-passenger van.’ The organization also said 15-passenger vans should ‘only be driven by experienced, licensed drivers who operate this type of vehicle on a regular basis.’
While Manire’s experience level in driving the van is not clear, the Gwinnett police report said she holds a Class C driver’s license. Manire’s license is non-commercial, according to Department of Driver Services records.
But there’s more.
Outstanding drugs warrant
Upon her arrest, the Houston County Sheriff’s Office also placed a hold on Manire in connection with drug possession charges according to 11Alive.
In September, Manire was charged with possession of marijuana and a window tint violation, both misdemeanors, according to Houston County State Court records. When she failed to show up for arraignment hearings in December and February, a warrant was issued for her arrest, records show.
She is currently at the Gwinnett County Jail without bond.
Manire is scheduled to make her first court appearance in Gwinnett County at 8 a.m. on Friday.
