ATLANTA — Editor's Note: The video above is an initial report of the crash.
A woman has been formally charged in a deadly Atlanta crash that killed several people, including a baby and a child.
Lashandra Murray is facing 16 separate counts after prosecutors said she was behind the wheel in a March 2020 crash near Bolton Road and Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway, a Fulton Superior Court indictment reads.
Murray "lost control of the vehicle and crossed the center lane into oncoming traffic," according to Atlanta Police Department. Murray struck a MARTA bus in a Nissan Sentra, which forced the car to veer off the road and come to a crashing stop after striking a tree, according to authorities. Three people were ejected.
Murray's actions killed Kareema Floyd, Kaniyah Floyd, Kejuan Floyd, Ashanti Hill, Keshundra Murray, the indictment alleges. Though court documents do not reveal the victims' ages, Atlanta Police crash investigators initially said the youngest passengers were 19 months old and 4 years old. Officers said the vehicle did not have car seats.
In connection to the five people who died, the 36-year-old is facing two counts of homicide by vehicle in the first degree, for a total 10 counts. Murray is also charged with two counts of reckless conduct for the lack of child safety seats and one count of reckless driving, according to the indictment. Two counts of involuntary manslaughter are also listed in the document.
Murray is also accused of misdemeanor driving under the influence of drugs. The indictment cites "there was an amount of tetrahydrocannabinol and fentanyl, both of which are controlled substances, present in her person to the extent it was less safe for her to drive." Atlanta Police originally said speed was a factor in the crash and said there were no signs of substance abuse.
A calendar notice filed Monday shows the case is set for a plea and arraignment hearing on August 15.