Police claim a 32-year-old woman was behind the wheel when she crashed into a yard, killing her 23-year-old passenger. They also allege that she was involved in a theft shortly before the crash.

She is facing misdemeanor charges for “complicity to commit theft” and police say she also failed to comply with a police officer’s order, which is a felony charge. However, that woman recently when to the Mahoning County Area Court and entered a not guilty plea. She was then returned to jail after her bond was set at a total of $55,000, with a full $50,000 of that for the felony.

It’s important to note that she could still be charged in relation to the deadly crash.

Though the court case may shed more light on what happened on that fateful day, reports do indicate that the police were called right around 1:30 in the morning on Tuesday, Jan. 10. An employee from the Walgreens at the intersection of U.S. Route 224 and Market Street said that a woman ran out of the store with a basket full of items, including deodorant and diapers.

Reports claim that the 23-year-old was the one with the basket, and the 32-year-old was the getaway driver. They were apparently running away from the scene when their car went out of control and rolled into a yard.

Though the woman claims she is not guilty of the theft charges in this case, she could still be held liable for the passenger’s death if she drove in an unsafe manner — for any reason — and caused the deadly wreck. When passengers are killed in car accidents due to reckless action by the driver, the families of those individuals may have a right to seek compensation.

Source: The Vindicator, “Driver in fatal car crash, alleged theft pleads not guilty to charges,” Jan. 12, 2017