Beth Ann White is accused of causing the crash that killed Allison Conaway and her six-month-old son, Alex, in November 2021. Conaway’s two other children, Chelsea and Chloe, sustained life-threatening brain and spinal injuries due to the crash. The girls survived their injuries.
White sat seemingly calm during jury selection. Judge Winston Kidd, along with the state and the defense, asked potential jurors a series of questions.
One candidate said she was working at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) when Conaway’s daughters were receiving treatment following the crash. Another woman said she had a niece who was killed by a drunk driver, which would make it hard for her to be fair and impartial.
On Monday, all 12 jurors plus an alternate were seated for the retrial. The jury consists of two men and 10 women.
During her first trial in November 2023, the state alleged White’s blood alcohol content level was .273% the night of the crash, which is more than three times more than the legal limit of .08%.
The defense questioned who had the right of way during the deadly crash. Due to this and other factors presented at trial, the jury could not come to a consensus on a verdict. A mistrial was declared on November 30.
White was indicted on four counts of aggravated DUI. She pled not guilty to the charges.
After the trial ended with a hung jury, the county re-indicted White on four counts of aggravated DUI and one count of DUI fourth. A fourth DUI offense is considered a felony in Mississippi.
More than a dozen witnesses are expected to be called to the stand in the coming days during the retrial.
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