Woman charged in fatal DUI crash to appear in court Monday
The woman charged with driving under the influence of an intoxicating liquor, thereby causing the death of another late last year, is scheduled to appear in court for an arraignment hearing on Monday.
Ashley Ann Winn faces two-to-20 years in prison and/or a $2,000 to $5,000 fine for the category B felony.
On Sept. 29, the Nye County District Attorney’s office charged Winn with a felony count of driving under the influence of an intoxicating liquor thereby causing the death of another. Christine Weir, 33, was killed in the crash.
At approximately 4 a.m. on Saturday morning, Sept. 24, 2016, Nye County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area of Dandelion and Honeysuckle streets after dispatchers received reports of a motor vehicle collision.
Weir and the driver, Brian Choiniere, 33, were driving northbound on Honeysuckle Street at the time of the fatal collision.
A sheriff’s office press release stated that Winn failed to stop at the stop sign and broadsided the vehicle on Dandelion Street.
Weir was pronounced dead at the scene, while Choiniere was airlifted to University Medical Center in Las Vegas.
Nye County Public Defender Thomas Gibson declined to discuss any possible negotiations pertaining to his client with the district attorney’s office.
Michael Vieta-Kabell is prosecuting the case against Winn.
According to the sheriff’s office, the initial investigation revealed that Winn was traveling westbound on Honeysuckle Street, while the victims were driving northbound on Dandelion Street.
Weir, a receiving clerk at Walmart, was on her way to work at the time of the collision.
She and Choiniere had planned to get married on Oct. 16, 2016.
The Nevada Highway Patrol responded to the scene to assist sheriff’s deputies and took over the fatal motor vehicle accident portion of the investigation.
That investigation ultimately identified that Winn was intoxicated and was the at-fault vehicle in the accident, as a result of running the stop sign.
According to the NHP, Winn admitted that she had been drinking whiskey up to one hour before the crash.
NHP arrested Winn, who sustained injuries from the crash, after her release from Desert View Hospital.
She was transported to the Nye County Detention Center and was booked on $200,240 bail.
Justice of the Peace Kent Jasperson recused himself from the case following controversy after he released Winn on her own recognizance.
He later ordered her returned to jail where she posted a $50,000 bail.
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes
