A South Side woman who police said had a blood-alcohol level of more than five times the legal limit when she was involved in a December crash that injured five people turned herself in on Friday.
The two-car, head-on crash happened just before 7 p.m. Dec. 15 on Frankstown Road in Penn Hills.
Police said responding officers found an SUV driven by Jelyssa Martinez, 28, in the eastbound lane and a sedan occupied by four adults and a toddler in the westbound lane.
Martinez was not injured in the crash, but all of the occupants of the sedan were taken to hospitals for treatment.
Police said the SUV driven by Martinez, whose license was suspended, crossed into the oncoming lane at a curve in the road and struck the sedan.
The driver of the sedan, who police did not name, suffered a broken bone in her neck and has been wearing a neck brace and suffering neck pain since the crash, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday.
The complaint said the front-seat passenger suffered chest and back pain. One rear-seat passenger suffered a fractured skull and has been hospitalized since the crash, another rear-seat passenger suffered a concussion and a third rear passenger — a toddler — suffered neck and back pain.
Bloodwork showed Martinez had a blood-alcohol level of 0.423%, more than five times the legal limit of .08%, the complaint said. Toxicology reports also showed that Martinez tested positive for cannabinoids and THC, which are found in marijuana.
A blood-alcohol level above 0.40% “is a potentially fatal blood-alcohol level,” according to a guide from the Cleveland Clinic.
Martinez tried to resist arrest, kicked an officer “in the groin area” and repeatedly slipped off her handcuffs, police said.
She faces charges including four counts of aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence, five counts of recklessly endangerment, three counts of accidents involving death or personal injury while not properly licensed, DUI and aggravated assault.
She was taken to Allegheny County Jail to await arraignment, county police said.
Martinez’ attorney, Kelvin L. Morris of Pittsburgh, was immediately unavailable for comment Friday afternoon.
