Woman charged for OWI causing death

An Ohio woman has been charged with the death of a passenger in her car resulting from an accident last year.

Brianna F. Mason, 23, Sidney, was charged Friday in Jay Superior Court with a Level 4 felony for causing death when operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Level 5 felony for reckless homicide, two Level 6 felonies for criminal recklessness and a Class C misdemeanor for operating a vehicle without a driver’s license.

Mason was arrested Monday and booked into Shelby County Security Center in Ohio.

The charges stem from an accident about 2:20 a.m. Aug. 14 at the intersection of Indiana 67 and Indiana 26 just west of Portland. Mason’s vehicle went off Indiana 26 at a high rate of speed and rolled several times, ejecting the four passengers.

Taylor L. LeMaster, 20, Berne, died from injuries sustained in the crash. 

Two other passengers, Mercedes A. Ryan of Anderson and Araia L. Mullins of Chesterfield, also had extensive injuries.

Mason's four passengers were not wearing seatbelts, according to documents filed in connection with the case.

According to a Jay County Sheriff’s Office report, Mason displayed “red, watery and bloodshot eyes” and slurred her words when police arrived on scene. She told police she had not been drinking. (According to the report, she later said she had been drunk the day prior and believed she had been drugged at a bar.) 

Her results on a preliminary breath test came in at 0.086%, and her blood alcohol level tested soon after came in at 0.071%. (The legal limit is 0.08%.)

Steven Butts of Sidney, Ohio, who had been a passenger in the vehicle, told police Mason “drives like she is in the middle of a race” and drives worse while intoxicated. Butts and Mullins recalled Mason drinking peach-flavored beer while driving Aug. 14. Police found cans of peach-flavored beer littered around the scene, as well as a bottle of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky.

Butts shared a video of Mason driving before the crash with Mullins’ bra covering her face and eyes while driving. Mullins showed police a video of the speedometer clocking at 120 mph.

Mullins told police Mason asked her after the accident to say she had been driving the vehicle because Mason does not have a license.

Mason told police she was driving to the highway intersection near Portland when a white SUV swerved into her lane, causing her to drive off the east side of the road and crash. She estimated she had been driving 70 mph and slowed to 60 mph before driving off the road.

According to event data recorder information obtained from the vehicle, it had been traveling 87 mph about five seconds before the crash. Upon impact, the vehicle was traveling 73 mph. (The speed limit is 55 mph.)

Ryan, who had once been in an intimate relationship with Mason, told police Mason has attempted to lie to her about the crash several times.

In Indiana, a Level 4 felony sentence ranges from two to 12 years, with an advisory sentence of six years.