Who is Monica Elizabeth Manire? Addiction recovery vehicle driver killed 6, injured 9 in horrific I-85 crash
ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Reckless driving by 32-year-old Monica Elizabeth Manire has been named as the reason for a deadly crash on the I-85 in Georgia. The crash, which occurred on Saturday, April 24, led to the deaths of six people as the vehicle overturned and caught fire.
It is unclear what exactly happened, but the initial police report says "an unknown vehicle changed lanes unexpectedly in front of (the van)". The current theory is that Manire made a reckless change of lanes, causing the van to flip.
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Gwinnett County police arrested Manire on Wednesday, April 28. She was charged with six counts of first-degree vehicular homicide, one for each individual that died in the crash. She was also charged with reckless driving and four counts of serious injury by vehicle. Here's everything we know about her.
Who is Monica Manire?
The 32-year-old woman reportedly lives in Byron, Georgia. Police have not confirmed whether she was an employee of We Are Living Proof, an addiction recovery community that owned the van. Channel 2 managed to contact Manire's father, who refused to provide more details other than the fact Manire was not an employee of the community. Not much is known about Manire and she doesn't appear to have a Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram account associated with her. We do know that this is not her first run-in with the law.
In September 2020, the Houston County Sheriff’s Office charged Manire with possession of marijuana and a window tint violation. When she failed to show up for her arraignment hearings in December and February, a warrant was issued for her arrest. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) reported that her arraignment has been rescheduled for May 27, but more information was not released by the Houston Sheriff's Office.
The police report also said Manire holds a C-class driving license and the AJC was able to cross-verify with the Department of Driver Services that the license is non-commercial. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has previously expressed concern with inexperienced drivers for such large vehicles. The NHTSA recommends that such vans should be driven "only be driven by experienced, licensed drivers who operate this type of vehicle on a regular basis." It also added that "a commercial driver’s license is ideal".
Crash Update: There are 6 reported fatalities in this incident. Several others were injured and transported to local hospitals.
— Gwinnett County Police (@GwinnettPd) April 25, 2021
Investigators are urging witnesses to call 678-442-5653.
Details: https://t.co/ycd69m4o80 https://t.co/sRJGq9QeFz pic.twitter.com/WDTPQq7bkw
Manire is currently behind held at Gwinnett County Jail, where she was booked on Wednesday, April 28. She is scheduled to appear in court on Friday, April 30. If found guilty on the vehicular homicide charges, Manire faces up to 15 years in prison.
According to MSN News, Manire made a last-second lane change from I-85 to I-985 when the van hit the bank and flipped. At the time, there were 16 people inside the van. Others injured were taken to local hospitals. It is not clear if Manire was injured or how she escaped the crash.
Police are asking anyone who witnessed the crash to call the Accident Investigation Unit tip line at 678-442-5653. Case Number: 21-031606