Police: Woman was drunk, lied about accident

Lorie Love
Register Assistant Editor

May 09, 2009 12:42 am

— A Richmond woman was cited early Friday morning for driving under the influence and several other charges after police say she drove her car into oncoming traffic.
At about 3 a.m., LaVasha Thomas, 29, was driving on Four Mile Road when she turned onto the Robert R. Martin Bypass headed in the wrong direction, said Sgt. Willard Reardon, public information officer with the Richmond Police Department.
Thomas, in a 1997 Cadillac, drove northbound into the southbound lane, “meeting traffic head on,” Reardon said.
Thomas sideswiped a 2004 Ford Explorer driven by Miranda Riley, 26, of Irvine, causing the Explorer to overturn, he said.
Riley and an unidentified passenger were both taken to Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center where they were treated and released, Reardon said.
Thomas allegedly told police officers who investigated the accident that she was not driving at the time of the crash. There was a passenger in the vehicle, Reardon said.
Thomas was cited for DUI, wanton endangerment, falsely reporting an incident to police, no insurance and expired plates. She was not lodged in the Madison County Detention Center because of a medical condition, Reardon said.
The bypass was shut down for about one hour to clean up the crash, police said.
Richmond fire and rescue units and Madison County EMS assisted Richmond police at the scene.
Lorie Love can be reached at llove@richmondregister.com or 624-6690.