Nicole Baukus
Nicole Baukus | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 2, 1989 The Woodlands, Texas, US |
| Criminal status | Incarcerated at Dr. Lane Murray Unit in Gatesville, Texas |
| Conviction(s) | Second degree vehicular manslaughter |
| Criminal penalty | 38 years in state prison |
Nicole Nadra Baukus (born April 2, 1989) is an American woman convicted of two counts of vehicular manslaughter stemming from an accident on June 29, 2012 where she was driving intoxicated.[1] Baukus plead guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 38 years in prison with the possibility of parole.[1][2] Highway surveillance cameras showed Baukus driving on the wrong side of Interstate 45 after she had consumed 21 drinks of alcohol at a nearby bar.[3][4] A later appeal against her conviction was dismissed.[5]
Wrong Way Crash
At approximately 3 A.M. on the early morning of June 29, 2012, Nicole Baukus slammed her Ford F-150 head on into another vehicle. Two people died on the scene of the crash and a third person was seriously injured. Baukus was taken to a nearby Memorial Hermann Hospital where her blood alcohol level was a reported .30 which is three times the legal limit in Texas. Four hours later she was taken into custody and booked into the Montgomery County Jail in Conroe, Texas. Baukus was said to be a frequent user of alcohol and drugs by prosecutors. Marijuana and Valium were found in her system at the time of her arrest.
Trial
Baukus was charged with two counts of second-degree felony intoxication manslaughter and one count of third-degree felony intoxication assault.[6] After initially pleading not guilty to the charges against her, she plead guilty to two counts of vehicular manslaughter on August 1, 2013.[7] Baukus was sentenced to a maximum of 38 years in prison and will be eligible for parole in 2021.[8]
References
- ^ a b "Defense in wrong-way drunk driving trial of Nicole Baukus changes plea to guilty | News - Home". click2houston.com. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- ^ "Wrong-way driver sentenced to 38 years in prison - Houston Chronicle". chron.com. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- ^ Young woman charged with DWI in I-45 wrong-way crash. KHOU, June 29, 2012
- ^ "Grand jury indicts first wrong-way driver - Your Houston News: News". yourhoustonnews.com. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- ^ "judge denIes new trial for wrong way driver - Montgomery County Police Reporter". montgomerycountypolicereporter.com. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- ^ $1 million: Local sports bar settles in over-serving case tied to 2012 wrong-way crash. Your Houston News, April 1, 2013
- ^ Defense in wrong-way drunk driving trial of Nicole Baukus changes plea to guilty. KPRC-TV, August 1, 2013
- ^ Woman in deadly 2012 DUI crash sentenced to 38 years in prison ABC News, August 2, 2013