Driver left club before wrong-way crash in Sumner killed 2 people, charges say
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- Pierce County charged a woman with two counts of vehicular homicide and reckless driving.
- Court records say the driver went the wrong way on three highways before the collision.
- Two women from Buckley, ages 30 and 53, were pronounced dead at the scene.
A 50-year-old Kent woman accused of driving the wrong direction on three highways before colliding with another driver early Sunday morning in Sumner, killing two people, allegedly told a Washington State Patrol trooper she was going home from a club.
Pierce County prosecutors on Monday charged Angela Sharee Westwood with two counts of vehicular homicide and reckless driving, accusing her of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
A plea of not guilty was entered on her behalf at an arraignment hearing Monday afternoon in Superior Court, according to court records. Court Commissioner Barbara McInvaille ordered Westwood held in jail in lieu of $750,000 bail.
Westwood has no prior felony convictions, according to court records. She was convicted of misdemeanor negligent driving in Fife in 1998. A defense attorney was not yet listed for her in court records.
The two people killed in the wreck were identified by the State Patrol as Shaina M. Ponce, 30, and Karim D. Zapana-Turpo, 53, both from Buckley.
State Patrol dispatchers advised troopers of a wrong-way driver on state Route 512 at about 4:38 a.m., according to the probable cause document. About three minutes later, Westwood’s Chrysler 300 collided head on with a Toyota Prius in the westbound lanes of state Route 410.
Westwood allegedly drove the wrong direction in eastbound traffic on state Route 512, then went the wrong way in the southbound lanes of state Route 167 before going the wrong way on westbound state Route 410. Multiple 911 callers reported that a driver was traveling the wrong direction before the collision occurred.
Troopers arriving at the crash scene reported that both vehicles involved had heavy front-end damage. According to the probable cause document, Westwood’s Chrysler 300 was also missing one of its front tires and appeared to have been driving on the rim for some time.
The two people in the Prius were pronounced dead at the scene.
Westwood was the only person in her vehicle. A trooper who spoke with her reported smelling “intoxicants” on her breath. According to the probable cause document, Westwood appeared to be in pain, and her eyes were bloodshot.
The trooper was unable to perform any field sobriety tests due to Westwood’s injuries and because she was trapped in her vehicle. She was extricated by fire personnel and placed under arrest before she was transported to Tacoma General Hospital.
A warrant was obtained to draw her blood for toxicology testing, and records state her blood was drawn shortly after 6 a.m., about an hour-and-a-half after the wreck. A drug-recognition expert was also sent to the hospital, but he was unable to perform a full evaluation.
This story was originally published July 28, 2025 at 2:24 PM.