DAVENPORT, Fla. — A woman faces a homicide charge after deputies said she crashed the car she was speeding in, causing one of her passengers to be ejected and killed, and hurting two others.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office said 36-year-old Tiffany West of Orlando was arrested Wednesday and charged with vehicular homicide for the death of 39-year-old Alicia Carmona.
An additional charge of DUI manslaughter was brought against West after tests showed her blood alcohol content was three and a half times the legal limit, according to deputies.
“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.
The crash happened just before 8 p.m. Friday, July 19, on North Ridge Trail in Davenport. Deputies said 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.
Carmona's two children, a 15-year-old girl and 10-year-old boy, were also hurt and rushed to the hospital. They survived, the sheriff's office said. Since their release from the hospital, the children have been living with their aunt, Sheriff Grady Judd said.
“I am happy to say that the two children have been released from the hospital and they are now living with their aunt," Judd said in a statement. "They still have some physical injuries to recover from, but even worse for them is that they lost their mother due to the irresponsible actions of Tiffany West.”
West was hurt, too, having sustained facial fractures during the crash. She was also taken to the hospital before her arrest.
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When deputies arrived, they noted West appeared impaired. A sample of her blood was reportedly taken after the crash and sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for testing. Detectives said they "anticipate" more charges, including DUI manslaughter, will be filed against West after the testing result.
10 Tampa Bay's Miguel Octavio spoke with Carmona's sister, Viola. She said her sister and her kids were with a friend, a woman, who was the driver. They were headed to an Airbnb for a trip over the weekend.
However, the children said the friend appeared to be drunk when she picked them all up. They added their mother tried to get her friend to stop the car and turn around, but an argument ensued.
"They saw how scared my sister was. They were scared," Viola said. "She begged her to stop several times, according to my niece and nephew. She asked [her friend], 'Please stop. Turn this car around,' and she wouldn't."