LANCASTER, Pa. — A Lancaster woman will serve up to seven years in prison after pleading guilty last week to charges stemming from her role in a 2021 crash that killed two people on Route 30 near Mountville, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office announced this week.
Whitney Webb, 28, of the 600 block of Poplar Street, pleaded guilty in a negotiated deal to charges of accident involving death or personal injury, accident involving damage to attended vehicle, failure to stop and give information/render aid, failure to notify police of accident, driving while operating privilege is suspended and driving without a license before Lancaster County President Judge David Ashworth.
She was sentenced to a prison term of 3½ to 7 years in prison and ordered to pay $285,289.10 in restitution.
The multi-vehicle crash, which occurred at 2:39 a.m. on August 22, 2021, claimed the lives of two people. Two other victims sustained serious injuries, prosecutors said.
Assistant District Attorney Kyle Linardo prosecuted the case and stated during the proceeding that Webb left the scene of the crash.
West Hempfield Township Police Department Sergeant Ryan Draper filed charges on August 22, 2022, after a yearlong investigation.
Linardo presented Draper’s testimony during a preliminary hearing on Nov. 30, 2022, that the crash involved three vehicles: a black Mazda, a grey BMW and a red Chrysler minivan.
The investigation determined--and two witnesses corroborated--that a dark Mazda 3 collided with the BMW, which swerved and went up a small embankment before rolling over onto the highway on its roof. The Chrysler then struck the front end of the BMW and veered off to the right.
The operators of the BMW and Chrysler were both pronounced deceased and two passengers in the BMW were severely injured, Draper said at the hearing.
Further testimony revealed the owner of the Mazda contacted police and said her friend, Webb, had been using the vehicle and that it might be located at Webb’s home on Poplar Street.
Police discovered the damaged car parked on Poplar Street. After obtaining a warrant, they had the vehicle towed.
Webb had previously stated she was involved in a hit-and-run crash in York County and left the scene because she was scared. She did not take the opportunity to speak when given the opportunity by Judge Ashworth.
Tests done on the Mazda showed it wouldn’t have passed inspection and that it was traveling at 84 miles per hour in a 55 MPH zone five seconds prior to the collision.
Webb’s license was also suspended at the time of the crash.
Further testimony revealed that cell phone data corroborated Webb was the driver of the Mazda and would have been in the area of the scene at the time of the crash.
