OCONTO, Wis. (AP) - An 84-year-old woman accused of causing a car accident that killed her husband and two friends in Oconto County is now facing charges, which her attorney says is “outrageous and cruel.”
Thelma R. “Dolly” Yashinsky was charged with three counts of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle. She also faces charges related to the injury of the other driver and his 9-year-old daughter who were hurt in the crash on Oct. 24, 2015, the Green Bay Press-Gazette (https://gbpg.net/2k7zE28 ) reported.
Court documents allege that Yashinsky was driving northbound near Oconto Falls when she drove past a stop sign and collided with a westbound SUV. Her husband, 91-year-old Edward Yashinsky, along with 96-year-old Leora Raisler and 89-year-old Grace Hyland were killed.
Her attorney, Brian Maloney, chastised the district attorney’s decision to file charges, noting that no drinking or drug use was involved in the wreck, which he said “was an accident, not a crime.”
“What makes the decision by the Oconto County DA especially disgraceful and heartless is that Dolly is 84 years old, and as a result of this accident, lost her husband of 61 years, as well as two her close friends,” Maloney said. “Dolly herself was badly injured in the accident. Dolly has been punished enough.”
District Attorney Edward Burke said the charges were justified, noting that Yashinsky ran a stop sign and three people were killed.
“We can’t just draw the line arbitrarily based upon somebody’s age and the fact they were injured in an accident, unless for some reason that injury is going to render them incapable of proceeding,” Burke said.
Yashinsky appeared before a judge on Tuesday, accompanied by about two dozen family members and supporters. Yashinsky was released on a $5,000 signature bond and ordered not to drive.
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Information from: Press-Gazette Media, https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com
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