By Jeff Devine, Dale County Chronicle
DOTHAN, Ala. — Three people, including a 12-year-old driver and a 72-year-old legal guardian, are facing criminal charges following a serious traffic crash that investigators say occurred during an illegal street race through a Dothan neighborhood.
According to the Dothan Police Department, the crash happened shortly before 2 p.m. on June 28 at the intersection of South Lena Street and West Lafayette Street.
Investigators said a 2016 Toyota Camry, driven by a 12-year-old juvenile, failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with another vehicle that was traveling through the intersection with the right of way.
A 14-year-old passenger riding in the Camry was ejected during the collision and suffered life-threatening injuries. The teen was initially taken to a local hospital before being transferred to a hospital in North Alabama, where the juvenile remains in critical condition.
During the investigation, officers reviewed surveillance video from the area and determined the Camry and a 2014 Hyundai Elantra were allegedly racing through residential streets before the crash. Police identified the driver of the Elantra as Jadyn Ruth Smith, 20, of Daleville.
Investigators also said the video showed the passenger who was ejected from the Camry sitting on the rear door windowsill before the collision. Police further stated that two juvenile passengers in Smith’s vehicle were also sitting on the rear door windowsills while the vehicles were being driven recklessly.
According to investigators, the surveillance footage captured the Camry running the stop sign before crashing into the other vehicle.
As a result of the investigation, the 12-year-old driver was charged with four counts of first-degree assault and was placed in the Southeast Alabama Diversion Center.
Smith was also charged with four counts of first-degree assault. She was booked into the Houston County Jail on bonds totaling $120,000.
Police additionally charged Brenda Bragg Raines, 72, of Dothan, with one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Investigators allege Raines knowingly allowed the 12-year-old to take the vehicle with permission. She was booked into the Houston County Jail on a $6,000 bond.
In a statement, Dothan Police said the surveillance video showed both vehicles being operated “in an extremely reckless manner” and demonstrating “a complete disregard for the value of human life.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
