Casper Woman Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter of 5-Year-Old

A Casper woman has been charged with involuntary manslaughter of a 5-year-old.

Get our free mobile app

That's according to an affidavit from Natrona County Circuit Court, which stated that on June 9, 2022 Sierra White, 24, was driving a Honda Pilot and ran a stop sign at the intersection of Pathfinder Road and Wyoming Highway 220, which resulted in the death of the child.

According to the affidavit, the Honda was traveling north on Pathfinder Road, while a Kenworth was traveling eastbound on Wyoming 220.

"The driver of the SUV did not stop at the stop sign located at the intersection of Pathfinder Road and WY 220," the affidavit stated. "The stop sign was clearly marked, and there were no visual obstructions between the driver and the sign. The road conditions were good, and the weather was also fair with little wind and no precipitation. The Kenworth was unable to avoid the collision and crashed into the driver side of the SUV in the eastbound travel lane of WY 220."

The affidavit noted that White was the driver of the SUV, and that she did not speak to law enforcement during an attempted interview at the hospital. At the scene of the crash, however, she did state that she had been driving the vehicle at the time of the crash.

The SUV had three other passengers, two of whom were a child. The first child was restrained in a child safety seat, however, he sustained fatal injuries in the crash, the affidavit stated.

There was another child passenger, born in 2018, who was also restrained in a car seat, and who was injured in the crash.

The front seat passenger sustained abdominal injuries as a result of the crash, and was treated at Wyoming Medical Center. The affidavit states that she told officers that "she did not recall if they stopped at the stop sign at the intersection or not."

The driver of the Kemworth was a man born in 1959. The affidavit states that he sustained severe injuries, including a pelvic fracture, as a result of the crash. He, too, was transported to Wyoming Medical Center.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol initially announced the crash shortly after it occurred, and stated that driver inattention, and cell phone use were being investigated as possible causes of the wreck.

At an initial hearing in Natrona Circuit Court on Tuesday, the District Attorney suggested a $65,000 cash or surety bond. The suspect's public defender requested that, due to White having no criminal history, that she be released on a Personal Recognizance bond.

The Honorable Brian Christensen ordered a $25,000 cash or surety bond.

White plead not guilty to the charge.

All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.