MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis mother was accused of driving drunk and causing a crash on Saturday.
Natalie Onidas made her first court appearance Monday morning.
Police said she was behind the wheel when she caused a three-car pileup with her four children inside the car.
They were not properly restrained, her license was suspended and she didn’t have insurance.
The crash happened at the intersection of Tchulahoma and Linda.
Police said Onidas ran a stop sign, which caused the pileup.
Now she’s facing a slew of charges, including child endangerment, while her daughter is in critical condition at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.
“It was horrible. They had crime scene tape all the way all around here. There were clothes everywhere,” said Samuel Harston, who witnessed the aftermath of the wreck.
The vehicles were smashed, their windows shattered, and what happened to Jasmine Nickelson Saturday morning left her shaken.
She was a passenger in her friend’s car on her way to work when she said Onidas ran the stop sign and hit another driver.
“And the lady kinda swerved in front of us and tried to avoid it by slamming on our brakes and blowing the horn, but it was too late,” she explained.
According to the crash report, Onidas’ 7-, 6-, 5- and 3-year-old daughters were in her Toyota Avalon at the time of the impact.
The 5-year-old was sent to Le Bonheur.
“Everybody was crying, but hopefully the baby will make it through,” she said.
Police said Onidas admitted to drinking several vodka Kool-Aids the night before and that morning had two vodka shots before she left the house.
“She looked strung out, eyes was red. They was real big,” said Nickelson.
Harston owns an auto repair shop across from where the vehicles collided.
He watched officers investigate.
He told WREG the intersection is prone to problems.
“There’s almost an accident here every day,” he said.
Now Nickelson hopes the little girl will pull through.
“It was sad. Hopefully the baby will be OK.”
Witnesses said the three other children were OK.
We looked at Onidas’ criminal record, and she had a history of other arrests, including leaving a child in a car unattended.
Her bail was set at $10,000.