SEDGWICK COUNTY — A driver charged in a crash that killed two Kansas women in August was due in District Judge Sean Hatfield's courtroom Thursday.
In December, Clowie Ann McLaughlin, 80, Augusta, waived her right to a preliminary hearing. She now will face a competency hearing, the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office reported on Thursday.
McLaughlin is charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence, severity level 4 person felonies, in the deaths of 42-year-old LaShea Bell and her daughter, 25-year-old A’Niah Bell.
The crash happened around 9:35 p.m. August 30, at the intersection of Central and Webb Road in Wichita
According to Wichita police, McLaughlin’s black Chevrolet truck collided with a white BMW carrying the Bells and a gray Jeep driven by a 41-year-old man. LaShea Bell was pronounced dead at the scene, while A’Niah Bell later died at a local hospital. The Jeep driver was treated at the scene and released.
Police said speed and alcohol are believed to have been factors in the collision. McLaughlin was taken to a hospital for treatment of her own injuries and was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail after being medically cleared. She bonded out of jail the following day after posting a $100,000 bond.