ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, January 14, 1997 TAG: 9701140052
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: LISA K. GARCIA STAFF WRITER
A blood sample could not be taken from the woman charged in the Saturday night crash that killed a Virginia Tech student until hours after the incident because the suspect refused to submit to tests, Tech Police Chief Mike Jones said Monday.
Officers secured a warrant to obtain the sample from Evelyn Williams, 47, of Blacksburg, after she failed several field sobriety tests the night of the crash and refused to take blood or breath tests that would have determined the amount of alcohol in her system soon after the crash.
Williams, who was charged with driving under the influence, was released Sunday after posting a $5,000 bond.
Daniel J. Kelly, 20, of Timonium, Md., a sophomore in computer engineering at Tech, was killed in the crash.
Kelly's companion at the time of the crash, which occurred on Southgate Drive near Tech Center Drive, within sight of Lane Stadium, suffered minor injuries.
In her statement to police, Ryane Simpson, 18, also a Tech student, said the first thing she remembered after being struck was flying through the air and landing in the snow..
Williams told the investigating officer that she had two mixed drinks about 6 p.m. The accident occurred about 9:45, according to police reports. The investigating officer reported that Williams appeared intoxicated - her face flushed and her eyes glassy.
According to police, Williams was driving east on Southgate Drive when the right front side of her car hit Kelly and Simpson, who were walking with their backs to traffic. Although the road was dry and clear of ice and snow, plows had piled snow on the roadside.
Police are uncertain whether Simpson and Kelly were walking in the two-lane road, which does not have an adjacent sidewalk.
In a written statement Simpson gave police Monday, she said Kelly's car ran out of gas on the U.S. 460 bypass as they headed to a movie. They abandoned the car and walked to get help. Both were struck from behind by a car, and Simpson landed in the snow, rolled over and saw Kelly lying curled up about 30 feet away.
Police said Kelly died of massive head injuries. He was pronounced dead at Columbia Montgomery Regional Hospital shortly after the accident, police said.
Williams, an employee at Tall Oaks Montessori School in Blacksburg, could not be reached for comment.
Her attorney, Marc Long, said, "I do not think she is guilty of DUI. I believe the facts will prove it out."
Tech police said the investigation is ongoing and that the results of Williams' blood test may not be available for a month.
Officials at Tech said a memorial service for Kelly will be held at the school after the funeral in his hometown, a Baltimore suburb. The memorial service is expected to be late this week or early next week.
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines KEYWORDS: FATALITYby CNB