BEVERLY HILLS—The Beverly Hills Police Department revealed that a traffic collision on South Santa Monica Boulevard at Wilshire Boulevard resulted in the deaths of two people. The crash occurred on Friday, April 27 at 1:23 a.m. after officers and fire personnel were alerted of the collision involving a BMW X5 that was travelling eastbound on S. Santa Monica Boulevard when the crash transpired.
According to reports, the driver was speeding when she lost control slammed into a tree and the vehicle flipped over. There were no other cars involved in the incident.
The car was being driven by Taisha Welch, 30, of Los Angeles. Five other female passengers were inside the vehicle. Some of the passengers were ejected from the car during the collision. All six occupants were transported to local hospitals to be treated for their injuries, but two of the passengers died from injuries they sustained.
Those victims have been identified as De’Nesha Stewart, 24, and Jenetta Williams, 30. Stewart was identified by friends via Facebook, and Williams has a GoFundMe page set up to cover her expenses.
“Jenetta Williams lost her life 4/27/18 in a tragic car accident.She went out to have fun and party with her friends and family unfortunately did not return home. Jenetta has 5 children. She did not have any life insurance our family will really appreciate any donations to help for funeral services,” states Williams GoFundMe page. The page has raised $1,165 of the $5,000 goal that has been set.
All of the occupants are between the ages of 20 and 35 and from the Los Angeles region. Welch and the remaining three passengers were hospitalized with injuries ranging from minor to serious.
Welch was arrested and booked for Gross Vehicular Manslaughter while Intoxicated (§191.5(a) California Penal Code), Driving Under the Influence, Driving with a Suspended License, and Driving without a License (§§ 23153(a), 14601.1(a), and 12500(a) California Vehicle Code). She was being held on $100,000 bail and appeared at the Airport Courthouse on Tuesday, May 1 where she was charged with two felony counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and one felony count each of driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage causing injury and driving with a .08 percent blood alcohol content causing injury.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office indicated that case SA097934 also charges Welch with one misdemeanor count of driving when privilege suspended or revoked and includes allegations that the defendant caused great bodily injury and there was more than one victim.
Welch faces a possible maximum sentence of 16 years and six months in state prison if convicted as charged. Prosecutors requested bail be set at $460,000.
The collision is still under investigation by the Beverly Hills Police Department’s Major Collision Response Team (MCRT) and all information provided at present is preliminary in nature.
