MIDLAND, Texas — One person was killed and another was arrested in a crash that occurred at the intersection of Mockingbird Lane and North Big Spring Street on March 8.
Officers with the Midland Police Department responded to the scene at around 9:50 p.m.
The initial investigation by the MPD Traffic Division revealed that 34-year-old Traci Lynn Klein was driving a Toyota Highlander east on Mockingbird and crossing Big Spring to continue eastward.
A Ford F-350 driven by 21-year-old Nicholas Yager was looking to make a left turn south onto Big Spring from Mockingbird, when they failed to yield the right of way and crashed into Klein.
According to an arrest affidavit, when the responding officer made contact with Yager at the scene, he smelled alcohol on him.
Yager spoke to EMS, but refused to be taken to the hospital, even though he told police he was not wearing his seatbelt and was ejected from a window when the wreck happened.
He later admitted to the officer that he had a 32-ounce daiquiri at his friend’s house before driving. Yager agreed to take both a field sobriety and blood draw test.
The field sobriety test gave officers several clues that he was drunk. The blood test was taken at Midland Memorial Hospital, but the results of that test were not made available in the affidavit.
Klein was taken to MMH, where she would later die from the injuries she suffered in the wreck.
Yager was arrested and charged with intoxication manslaughter.
Next of kin has been notified and the investigation is ongoing. We will continue to update this story as we receive more information.