DAVENPORT, Fla. — An Orlando woman is now facing a DUI manslaughter charge after being involved in a fatal Polk County crash that deputies say killed one of her passengers and hurt two others.
On Friday, July 19, authorities arrested 36-year-old Tiffany West and charged with vehicular homicide for the death of 39-year-old Alicia Carmona. She's reportedly stayed in the Polk County Jail since Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the agency announced her additional charge after traffic homicide investigators received lab test results of West's blood that indicate she was intoxicated during the incident.
Authorities say the results showed that West’s blood alcohol content was 0.295 grams — which is about three and a half times the legal limit (0.08 grams).
“Tiffany West was already facing the vehicular homicide charge due to the poor decision to drive over 70mph in a 30mph zone. This new charge is for her poor decision to drink and drive. Alicia Carmona lost her life because of Tiffany’s poor choices, and the two children who were also in the car that night were also injured and lost their mother,” Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office says the crash happened on North Ridge Trail in Davenport.
Investigators say they determined West was going between 72-79 mph, at minimum, in a 30 mph zone when the Nissan she was driving left the roadway at a 90-degree corner.
The car went over a guardrail, through a fence and struck a tree. Carmona, who was from Jacksonville, was ejected from the car and died at the crash site.
In addition, Carmona's two children, a 15-year-old girl and 10-year-old boy, were also hurt and taken to the hospital where officials say they survived their injuries.
West was also hurt, having sustained facial fractures during the crash. She was also taken to the hospital before her arrest.