Woman charged in Facebook crash: I'm the victim

From: http://www.freep.com/article/20100909/NEWS03/9090341/Woman-charged-in-Facebook-crash-I-m-the-victim

SEPT. 9, 2010

BY TAMMY STABLES BATTAGLIA
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

The 23-year-old Pontiac woman who police say caused a fatal crash after a fight on Facebook told police that she was the one being victimized, a detective testified Wednesday.

A hearing will continue Sept. 22 to determine whether Torrie L. Emery will be tried for second-degree murder in Oakland County Circuit Court.

Pontiac residents Alesha Abernathy, 21, died and Danielle Booth, 20, was critically injured when their car ran a red light July 21 and crashed into a truck on Woodward at Rapid Street in Pontiac.

Investigators say Emery and Booth had been arguing on Facebook about a man, and Emery started the chase when she spotted the women driving through McDonald's on Woodward in Pontiac. Emery's 3-year-old daughter was in a child seat in the back of her car.

Pontiac police Detective Paul McDougal testified Wednesday that Abernathy and Booth crashed as he watched them being chased by Emery at speeds of more than 80 m.p.h.

Emery sat emotionless in 50th District Court on Wednesday as McDougal described following the women's cars, then pulling Emery over after she sped past the crash.

"She jumps out of the car: 'I don't even know this girl. She's following me with my baby in the car,' " McDougal said in Judge Cynthia Thomas Walker's courtroom.

Witnesses Karen Holland and her son William Hall testified that they were stopped at the light at Rapid Street when the crash happened in front of them.

"I said 'Oh my God, she's not going to stop,' and it happened that fast," Holland said, adding that Abernathy's car fishtailed as though she was trying to stop at the red light before hitting the truck.

"There was really nothing we could do. We called 911," said Hall, the first person to try to help Abernathy and Booth.

Emery -- also charged with assault and child endangerment -- is being held without bond in the Oakland County Jail.

Abernathy's mother, Angel Abernathy, 37, of Waterford, said Wednesday that she was surprised to hear for the first time in Wednesday's hearing that Emery claimed to be the victim.

"It's disappointing because not only did she ruin her life, she ruined mine, (Alesha's) dad's, my mom and dad," Abernathy said. "Everybody lost. No one won. Danielle's family -- they all lost. All because of some man."

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