Drunk Driver Survives Fatal Crash

BAIRD, TX — A fatal crash in downtown Baird involved a drunk driver who survived, Texas DPS reported Sunday afternoon.

According to an appended report to the preliminary investigation, DPS responded to a crash inside the city of Baird at W. 3rd St and Peyton St. at 2:10 a.m. Sunday morning, May 5. During the investigation, Troopers suspected the driver of a Chevrolet Silverado pickup involved in the crash was intoxicated.

Ashlie Haynes, 35, of Clyde agreed to take a breathalyzer test and scored higher than the legal limit, 0.08. DPS booked her in the Callahan County Jail for DWI. 

DPS stated that additional charges against Haynes may be filed based upon the outcome of the final investigation.

The initial description of the crash may indicate Haynes' intoxication was not the cause of the tragedy. 

DPS reported that a 2008 Kia Spectra driven by James May, 19, of Baird was traveling south on Peyton Street and stopped at a stop sign at Peyton and W 3rd. Haynes in her Silverado was traveling west on W 3rd Street approaching Peyton. May in the Kia failed to yield the right-of-way to the Silverado, driving south into the intersection.  The Silverado struck the Kia.  Three occupants were ejected from the Kia during the collision. 

The four passengers of the Kia were teens. Three died as a result of their injuries but the driver, May, and a 19-year-old male named Dakota Kitchens survived. We assume the survivors traveling in the crowded Kia were not ejected during the crash. Killed were:

• Layni Potter,18, of Baird
• Madi Buchanan, 18, of Baird
• A juvenile male, 16, of Baird

The fourth passenger, Dakota Kitchens, 19, of Baird, is listed in stable condition at Hendrick Medical Center.

No one in the Kia were wearing a seatbelt, DPS reported. The roadways were dry and the skies cloudy when the crash happened. The speed limit was 35 mph. The call for service happened at 2:10 a.m.