$5 million bond for mom who was driving in fiery downtown Omaha crash that killed 4

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – More than a month after a tragic fatal crash, a woman has been formally charged in the deaths of four people, including her own children, after authorities say she was driving drunk with at a speed of almost 140 miles per hour. the time of the accident.

Rachel Bickerstaff, 33, of Omaha, broke down in tears in a wheelchair during her appearance in court Thursday. She was booked into the Douglas County Jail on Wednesday after being hospitalized for a week in Kansas with severe burns. A warrant was issued for her while she was in the hospital.

The state asked that Bickerstaff’s bond be set at $5 million; the judge agreed and set her preliminary hearing for December 9.

More details about the crash, which happened shortly before 1:30 a.m. on September 27, were released in court on Friday. Authorities said a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee ran a red light at 10th Street and that it was going nearly 140 mph on Douglas Street. just five seconds before the crash — and over 100 mph after the crash.

According to court documents, her blood alcohol level was taken at the hospital at 216 — almost three times legal limit.

Bickerstaff was able to get out of the car, these must be records.

At great risk to themselves, Good Samaritans managed to pull their passenger, a 38-year-old man who is also the father of the three girls who died in the crash, from the burning Jeep, records show. He survived the crash, but the car was too engulfed in flames to save the 11-day-old and 5-year-old children who were trapped inside her car.

“The passengers tried to get back for her children, who were trapped in the car — sorry Good Samaritans — and they did, but by then the car was too fully engulfed in flames. … She goes 139 mph on Douglas, which is absolutely outrageous. On impact, it accelerates to more than 100 miles per hour; At the time of providing assistance, the doctors were intoxicated,” the Prosecutor General said.

This is also evidenced by the records 70-year-old Michael Sales Council Bluffs, the other driver involved in the crash, was also trapped in his 2017 Subaru Outback and died in the fiery crash. He was on his way home from his job at FedEx when the accident happened.

Bickerstaff’s 18-month-old child, who was ejected in the crash, was also taken to a burn unit in Kansas City for injuries sustained in the crash, but eventually died, according to court documents. died a few days later. Court documents filed earlier this month claimed that emergency responders who treated the child said the injuries “can only be described as ‘harrowing’.”

Bickerstaff is charged with four counts of vehicular homicide and one count of DUI causing serious injury. If convicted of murder, she could face up to 50 years in prison on each count. She could also face up to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted of DUI.

Court records also show that Bickerstaff was previously convicted of DUI in early 2020. She pleaded “no contest” to misdemeanor DUI and reckless driving, disqualified for 60 days and required to have an interlock device. She was also placed on probation for six months and ordered to pay fines totaling less than $800.

6 News previously reported that Bickerstaff has four other children — believed to be between the ages of 8 and 11 today — who were placed in state custody several years ago. According to juvenile court records, the passenger who was injured in the accident is also the father of one of them.

Documents show the state was concerned about the children’s safety and well-being, alleging Bickerstaff failed drug tests (documents say she used methamphetamine) and failed to follow a medical regimen for one of the children. . Subsequently, in 2019, the parents waived their rights, and these children were given up for adoption.

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Digital producer Jackson Piercy, managing editor Kevin Westuz and reporter Brian Mast contributed to this report.

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