A Michigan teenager driving at high speed tried to jump a hill with her best friend in the car, resulting in a fatal crash. The 19-year-old driver, Ella Vece, and her 18-year-old friend, Nevaeh Downs, were in a Volkswagen Jetta that crashed into a tree in Kent County, Michigan. Vece was seriously injured in the crash, while Downs did not survive. Authorities and reports indicated that the vehicle was traveling at around 100 miles per hour when the incident occurred. Kent County Prosecutor Christopher R. Becker described the incident as a result of kids engaging in reckless behavior that ended in tragedy.
At the scene of the crash, a recording captured Downs warning Vece to slow down due to an oncoming vehicle. Despite the warning, the crash still occurred. Downs, who had recently graduated from high school, was described as a thoughtful and caring person in her online obituary and a GoFundMe page was created to start a scholarship fund in her name at Grand Rapids Community College, where she was a student. Vece, who was also seriously injured, was charged with reckless driving causing death, a felony. However, she pleaded to a lesser charge of a moving violation causing death, which is a misdemeanor. Vece is expected to be sentenced in June and could face up to a year in prison if convicted.
Although the family of the victim did not want the case to proceed, Vece was held accountable for her actions. Despite being considered like a daughter by Downs’ family, she was still prosecuted in accordance with the law. As part of her plea deal, Vece lost her license for a year. The hill where the crash occurred has been the site of multiple deaths in recent years, according to Becker. Vece’s attorney was not immediately available for comment on the case. Overall, the incident serves as a tragic reminder of the consequences of reckless driving and the importance of obeying traffic laws to prevent avoidable accidents.
