A woman from Atlantic County was driving too fast and drunk when she caused a crash that killed a Mount Holly woman just before her college graduation, authorities say.
Alexia Glass, 25, from Mays Landing, has been charged with aggravated manslaughter, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.
The incident happened when Glass hit the back of a car driven by 22-year-old Yolanda Pacheco in Hamilton Township just before 12:30 a.m. on March 28, according to the prosecutor’s office.
The crash caused Pacheco’s car to flip over and hit three parked cars, a preliminary investigation found.
Pacheco was a senior at Stockton University, where she was about to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Her family received her diploma before Stockton’s graduation ceremony on May 7, said her mother, Patricia Helmick of Mount Holly.
“Yolanda was unique,” Helmick said, thanking donors who gave more than $23,000 to a GoFundMe campaign for funeral expenses.
“She was always ready to help others however she could. She might have been small, but she was strong. We miss her so much.”
An investigation showed Glass was allegedly drunk, which affected her ability to drive, the prosecutor’s office said. She was also reportedly speeding when she hit Pacheco’s car.
Glass faces charges including reckless driving and having an open container of alcohol in her car, according to Hamilton’s municipal court records.
These are just accusations, and Glass has not been convicted in this case.