Woman Charged In Beverly Hills Crash That Killed 2, Injured 3

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – A 30-year-old woman who allegedly drove drunk and caused a single-vehicle crash in Beverly Hills that killed two of her passengers has been charged with two 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, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office.

Taisha Warie Welch, of Los Angeles, is expected to be arraigned Tuesday at the Airport Branch Courthouse. She's accused of causing the rollover crash that occurred early Friday morning near Wilshire Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard, the press release said.

Welch was also charged 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, the District Attorney's Office said.

On April 27, Welch was allegedly driving under the influence when she lost control of the vehicle causing a rollover crash, prosecutors said. Two of the passengers, Denesha Stewart, 24, and Jenetta Williams, 30, were killed, according to the criminal complaint. Three other passengers were injured in the crash, two of them suffering great bodily injury, prosecutors said.

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Welch faces a possible maximum sentence of 16 years and six months in state prison if convicted as charged. Prosecutors will be requesting bail be set at $460,000, according to the press release. The case remains under investigation by the Beverly Hills Police Department.

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