A Paducah teen facing manslaughter charges in a fatal car-crash earlier this month waived a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Marshall County District Court.
Kori E. Lane, 18, of Paducah, who stands accused of second-degree manslaughter in the death of 16-year-old Sierria D. Jones appeared before District Court Judge Jack Telle with her attorney Don Thomas Wednesday; according to Thomas, Lane waived her right to a preliminary hearing, giving consent to have the grand jury proceed with the case on June 13. An order will be signed for Lane to go through a pre-trial substance abuse program while incarcerated.
The victim’s father was contacted about the rehabilitation program for Lane while incarcerated which could spread the case out in terms of going forward, to which he agreed would be fine.
Lane was initially charged with murder and DUI and held on $500,000 bond after the incident; County Attorney Jeff Edwards amended charges after blood alcohol levels came back at .06, under the legal limit for an adult driver to be considered impaired in Kentucky. Drivers under 21 are considered over the limit above .02 BAC.
“(Lane’s) blood alcohol level was high enough to justify a second-degree manslaughter charge, but we felt it was not high enough to justify a murder charge,” Assistant County Attorney Jason Darnall was quoted as saying in the May 27 issue of The Paducah Sun.
According to Marshall County Sheriff’s Department reports, about 12:10 a.m. Saturday, May 20 responders were dispatched to a single-car crash at the intersection of Griggstown and Salyer Creek roads in Marshall County. Police say Lane was speeding and driving recklessly when the vehicle she was driving dropped off the shoulder and began to bounce. Sheriff Kevin Byars said Lane was unable to regain control of the car.
“From what they described to me, it looked like she ran off the road and tried to recover, got to bouncing and then when it hit Salyer Creek Road it just kind of launched it from that point,” Byars said in a previous interview.
The investigation remains ongoing.