She drove head-on into another car, killing the driver, records say. Now she’s charged
Update, April 12, 2024: Phylece May Wooddell pleaded guilty March 15 to DUI vehicular homicide for the July 2, 2023 wreck that killed 67-year-old David Michael Saylor of Tacoma. Wooddell was sentenced the same day in Pierce County Superior Court to six-and-a-half years in prison.
Wooddell was on her way to a cannabis store when she struck Saylor’s vehicle at high speed in front of the Tacoma Rescue Mission, according to court documents. Her blood-alcohol level was 0.19.
Original story: A 22-year-old woman suspected of causing a fatal car wreck in Tacoma has been charged with vehicular homicide.
Pierce County prosecutors charged Phylece May Wooddell on Wednesday in a head-on crash that left another driver dead. The victim’s identity has not been released by the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Wooddell was being held in the Pierce County Jail on Thursday on $50,000 bail.
Tacoma police responded to reports of a two-car crash on South Tacoma Way near the Tacoma Rescue Mission on July 2. They saw two cars stopped, both with severe damage to the front ends, according to charging documents.
Police questioned Wooddell. She admitted to drinking before driving, and an officer noticed the smell of alcohol on her breath, according to court documents. There was an open alcohol container inside her car.
Video of the crash obtained by police shows Wooddell driving over the speed limit into the oncoming lane and running straight into the victim’s car, court records show.
Wooddell was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center for a blood draw to determine her blood-alcohol levels, according to court documents. Results are pending.
This story was originally published July 6, 2023 at 12:33 PM.
