Prison For South Jersey Woman In DWI Crash That Killed Teen

BURLINGTON CO., NJ — The woman who admitted to driving while intoxicated in a crash that killed a Pemberton Township High School senior has been sentenced to prison, officials said.

A judge sentenced Wanda Sprague, 55, to eight years in state prison on Wednesday, according to Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw.

Sprague, of Pemberton Township, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated manslaughter and to driving while intoxicated last September in connection with the crash that killed 17-year-old Kayla Bowen.

Bowen grew up in Browns Mills and was in the Medical Arts Program at the school, according to her obituary. She trained in martial arts and was "amazing at building and fixing almost anything," her loved ones said.

The crash happened near Lakehurst Road and Rancocas Lane in Pemberton Township on December 16, 2021, officials said.

Bradshaw said Sprague had been drinking at the Country Lakes Pub and Grill, and reached speeds above 90 miles an hour before the crash. Her blood alcohol concentration after the crash was .188, Bradshaw said, more than twice the legal limit.

Bradshaw said that Sprague did not have her headlights on when she ran headfirst into a Nissan Sentra driven by Bowen. Bowen, also of Pemberton Township, died at the scene, officials said.

"Sprague told the court she had no recollection of the collision," Bradshaw said previously. "From a wheelchair, she said she has had several surgeries, with more scheduled, and might need to have a foot amputated."