Lawyer for driver accused in I-95 crash says his client is ‘devastated’
Jayana Webb is charged in the crash that killed two state troopers and a civilian on I-95. She is being held without bail until her next court appearance.
The attorney for the 21-year-old driver accused of killing two Pennsylvania state troopers and a pedestrian on Monday said his client is “devastated” about her role in the fatal crash.
Michael Walker declined, however, to speak about what led up to the accident, how much his client, Jayana Tanae Webb, had been drinking, or her social media posts about driving while intoxicated.
Still, he urged the public to stop speculating about what happened based off of Webb’s apparent social media posts that evening.
“It’s all hearsay,” Walker said. “If we could just take a step back, there are families of the loved ones who perished. Spinning stories — it’s not the most appropriate.”
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Prosecutors have charged Webb with three counts of third-degree murder, homicide by vehicle, and DUI-related charges for her role in the deaths of Trooper Martin F. Mack III, Trooper Branden T. Sisca, and a civilian, Reyes Rivera Oliveras, 28, of Allentown.
Around 12:45 a.m. Monday, the two troopers were dispatched to assist Oliveras, who had been reported walking in the southbound traffic lane on I-95 near Lincoln Financial Field. As they tried to remove Oliveras from the road, Webb attempted to pass the parked state police SUV while driving at a high speed, fatally striking all three men, state police said.
Webb is now being held without bail until her preliminary hearing, scheduled for April 5.
Walker said he had not spoken to his client about the social media posts yet. Accounts linked to Webb include posts about partying and driving under the influence. In a January post, she referred to herself as “the best drunk driver ever.”
Walker further said he could not confirm reports that Webb had been pulled over for speeding by the same two troopers, just minutes prior to the fatal crash — a stop alluded to in a tweet from one of Webb’s Twitter accounts that night as well, time-stamped minutes before the crash took place.
“I don’t know that to be the case,” Walker said.
Walker said he could not comment on his client’s alcohol consumption that night. At her arraignment Tuesday night, the District Attorney’s Office said Webb had confessed to officers she had been drinking Hennessy Cognac prior to the crash, according to NBC10.
Walker unsuccessfully petitioned the court to offer bail and allow Webb to remain free on house arrest.
Webb did not have prior criminal offenses and does not pose a flight risk, he argued, and given the high-profile nature of the case, he said he had concerns about how long she could spend incarcerated before a ruling is reached in the case.
“We’re about a year, two, maybe three years until this case settles or goes to trial,” Walker said.
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A funeral has been set for one of the state troopers next week. Walker offered his condolences to the families of the troopers and Oliveras, who have requested privacy from the media at this time.
“It’s a tragedy all around for everybody involved,” Walker said.