Tulsa woman charged in her daughters' deaths

Alfalfa County collision

 

August 24, 2016



A Tulsa woman has been charged with negligent homicide after a collision in Alfalfa County near Ringwood took the lives of her two juvenile daughters, ages 12 and 13. Priscilla Lynn Suniga, 35, of Tulsa has been charged with two counts of misdemeanor negligent homicide. The crime is punishable by a fine of $100 to $1,000 or imprisonment for up to one year or both. A warrant has been issued for her arrest.

Suniga is also a defendant in two civil cases involving the collision. On Feb. 11 Shiella Jones of Helena, who was injured in the wreck, filed a negligence case against Suniga. On April 11 Avis Budget Group filed a civil suit against Suniga, Jones, Michael Torres Perez and State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance.

Court documents show the two-vehicle collision occurred on Saturday, Nov. 21, north of Ringwood in Alfalfa County on State Highway 58. OHP Trooper Gene Goodson arrived on the scene to find a Chevrolet pickup with an Oklahoma license on the highway near the center line and facing southwest. A Chevrolet four-door car with an Arkansas plate was in the west ditch facing northwest.

An ambulance was on the scene with emergency personnel treating the injured. Suniga was north of the car receiving medical attention. Her daughter, Trinity Perez, 13, had been ejected and was already in the ambulance receiving care. Trinity had been in the back passenger seat and was ejected through the front windshield. Sierra Perez, 12, who was in the front passenger seat, was pinned inside the vehicle, lying face down just in front of the seat. Suniga and Sierra were taken by ambulance to Integris Medical Center in Enid for treatment. Sierra was pronounced dead of her injuries at 1:40 p.m. Trinity was flown from the scene by Air Evac to OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City where she was pronounced dead of her injuries at 5:50 p.m. that same day.

The driver of the pickup was a juvenile, Aimee Jones from Helena, who was walking around on the highway. Her passenger was her mother, Shiella Jones, who was pinned inside the pickup with the fire department trying to free her. Her lower torso was pinned in the floor board with her upper torso lying toward the middle of the vehicle. Shiella was later taken by ambulance to Integris Medical in Enid.

Aimee said she was driving south on State Highway 58 when the northbound Suniga car crossed the center line into her lane. She said she applied the brakes but was unable to stop in time.

Troopers L.S. Hartley, Jim Chaloupek and Jason Burch arrived on the scene to help with the investigation. After a reconstruction was completed it was determined that Suniga was traveling north on State Highway 58 toward Helena from Tulsa to the Crabtree Correctional Center to visit an inmate when she crossed the center line for an unknown reason and never made an attempt to re-enter her lane. The vehicles struck front passenger side to front passenger side. Amiee and Shiella Jones were found to be traveling south on State Highway 58 to a basketball game in Lahoma.

After impact the Suniga car continued to the northwest and into the west ditch where it came to a rest facing west with the motor of the vehicle coming to rest a few feet out in front of the vehicle.

Through mathematics, it was determined that Suniga was traveling between 64.71 mph and 78.65 mph at the time of the collision and Jones was traveling 64 mph five seconds prior to the collision and 44 mph one second prior to the collision.

Toxicology results from blood samples from Jones were negative for alcohol or drugs. Results from Suniga’s toxicology showed a positive test for cannabinoids (marijuana) and no alcohol. Suniga’s cannabinoids result was the lowest control number available to the lab and below the amount considered to be impairment.

Cell phone records were obtained for both drivers and neither record indicated usage at the time of the collision.

 

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