Bend woman charged with manslaughter in crash that killed three Warm Springs tribal members

Published 3:47 pm Monday, March 6, 2023

MADRAS — A Bend woman faces charges of first-degree manslaughter and driving under the influence of intoxicants after a head-on collision that killed three Warm Springs tribal members north of Madras in November.

Audrey Cooper McHugh, 29, was arrested by Oregon State Police troopers at her Bend home on Friday. She pleaded not guilty through her defense attorney in Jefferson County Circuit Court on Monday.

She is accused of acting with “extreme indifference” to human life when she caused the crash that killed siblings Jesiah Johnson, 13, and Jessica Johnson, 15, and their aunt, Saralee Lorette Spino-McCormack, 29, according to court records.

Jefferson County District Attorney Steve Leriche told the court in an arraignment hearing Monday that McHugh was driving around 85 miles-per-hour along U.S. Highway 26 north of Madras through “very thick fog” at around 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 16.

She was driving back to her home in Bend from a hair appointment in Portland, Leriche said.

With alcohol and THC in her bloodstream, she made a “dangerous” pass in a gray Toyota Tacoma before crashing into Spino-McCormack and the teens, who were in a gold Chevrolet Malibu, Leriche said. The prosecution’s allegations are supported by video evidence, he added.

“This is indeed a hard case for the community,” Leriche said.

McHugh, who has no criminal record, appeared by video Monday, still wheelch air-bound. Her attorney, Erick Ward, did not respond Monday to the allegations about the crash.

“She’s taken three very young lives from us,” said Krista Rhoan, Spino-McCormack’s sister and aunt to the teens. “I don’t think she needs to be out and about enjoying life with her family and friends … like nothing ever happened.”

In tears, Rhoan asked the court not to release McHugh from jail on Monday.

“It’s been a huge loss,” Rhoan said. She noted that McHugh “has gone through all the holidays with her family. Thanksgiving. Christmas. We didn’t get that.”

Ward disputed Rhoan’s claims that McHugh’s life has gone on normal and carefree since the crash. “That is absolutely not the case,” he said. “As the court can see, she’s in a wheelchair. She’s sustained permanent and life-altering injuries because of this.”

Leriche said that monitored phone calls between McHugh and her father while she was in custody in recent days indicated he was prepared to pay the $100,000 security for McHugh’s release. Therefore, Leriche argued, the court should set McHugh’s bail at a high price.

“Some people, money means more to than others,” Leriche said. He added, “I don’t know how you put a number on a case like this, with three individuals, but the state requests that the number be high.”

Ward also “strongly” disagreed with the claim that McHugh’s family could quickly pay out a $100,000 check and requested the phone recordings of jail calls be provided to the defense.

Judge Annette Hillman set McHugh’s bail at $1 million.

The next hearing in this case is scheduled March 29.