Victims, alleged DUI driver ID'd in fatal Beverly Hills crash

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Monday, April 30, 2018
2 killed, 4 others hurt in suspected DUI crash in Beverly Hills
A driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI after a crash in Beverly Hills that left two women dead and four others hurt early Friday, police said.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (KABC) -- Authorities have identified the two deceased victims and a suspected drunk driver involved in a fatal crash in Beverly Hills.

Early Friday morning, six women were traveling in a BMW X5 SUV when the driver apparently lost control, jumped a curb, hit a palm tree and then flipped over.

Two female passengers were killed in the crash. The driver was arrested and authorities say she was drunk and driving with a suspended license. No other vehicles were involved.

The crash happened around 1:30 a.m. near Little Santa Monica and Wilshire boulevards.

The two passengers who died in the crash were identified by the coroner's office as Jenetta Jean Williams, 30, of Palmdale; and Denesha Robanita Stewart, 24, of Lakewood. The other women in the SUV were hospitalized for injuries.

An autopsy is still pending on the two deceased women.

The driver was identified as Taisha Welch, 30, of Los Angeles.

Welch was arrested and booked for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license, and driving without a license.

She was being held on $100,000 bail and has a scheduled appearance at the Airport Courthouse on Tuesday.