CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - A 23-year-old woman is on trial for hitting two nurses outside a nursing home in 2010. One of the nurses died at the scene, the other nurse survived critical injuries.
Leah Walton faces multiple charges, including involuntary manslaughter, reckless driving, and marijuana possession. Police say the drug was found inside her car.
Nurse Susan Karablut was killed at the scene. Her friend and co-worker, Lisa McIe, survived with several long-term injuries.
The accident happened in August of 2010, outside the White Oak Manor nursing home on Craig Avenue. Walton told police she was trying to reach something in her purse when she lost control.
In testimony Wednesday, police said Walton was driving at least 41 miles per hour when her car jumped the curb of the sidewalk. The speed limit was 30 miles per hour. They said there were no skid marks at the scene.
A Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Officer also testified to hearing Walton say at the scene, "This is so unfair. Those (expletive) sitting on the curb with their feet on the road, and I have to go to jail."
Officer Jadlocki also testified that Karablut was dragged 120 feet by the car. McIe was dragged and thrown nearly 100 feet.
McIe testified Tuesday about what happened and the injuries she survived. She uses a wheelchair to get around.
McIe said the first thing she remembered after the accident was waking up five months later in excruciating pain. She had multiple broken bones and internal injuries.
"It's like somebody's crushing you, stinging you, stabbing you," said McIe about the pain. "I couldn't believe I was still alive," she said.
Witnesses described seeing their mangled bodies on the roadway.
"I saw both of the bodies go under the car and the bodies kept going around and around," said Kristen Talbot, who witnessed the accident. She wiped tears away several times during her testimony.
In opening statements, assistant district attorney Natalie Sielaff said Walton made a choice that day, and that choices have consequences. She said Karablutt and McIe never expected a car to come barreling up the sidewalk.
Walton's attorney, George Laughrun, said Walton admits to being a distracted driver. However, he said there was nothing willful or malicious about the accident.
During cross examination of the police officers Wednesday, he used a line of questioning to emphasize that Walton cooperated with police, never asked for an attorney until she was officially under arrest and cried during her police interviews.
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