NORFOLK, Va. — The woman who prosecutors claim killed a driver when driving the wrong way in the Downtown Tunnel was denied bond by a judge in court Wednesday.
Dominique Goodwin, 27, is charged with aggravated involuntary manslaughter.
The charge stems from a deadly crash that happened on Dec. 30.
State Police say they were told about the crash just after 3 a.m. After investigating, troopers said they learned that Goodwin was driving east in the westbound lanes of the tunnel when she hit another driver head-on. They said alcohol was a contributing factor in the crash.
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New details revealed in court included a video showed to Norfolk Judge Leondras Webster of how Goodwin entered the tunnel, allegedly going down the exit ramp, that usually goes off to the hospital, the wrong way.
Prosecutors also said there was a bottle of tequila on the floor of Goodwin's car, and that her blood alcohol content (BAC) level was .23. The legal limit is .08.
The woman Goodwin hit, 43-year-old Shelby Walker from Portsmouth, died instantly, police said.
The family of Walker heard the commonwealth's blood alcohol findings at the bond hearing.
"It's kind of numbing, you know," said Shelby Walker's uncle Marvin Riddick. "I don't know what to say."
After the crash, Goodwin was taken to the hospital to get treated for her injuries but was eventually released, according to State Police. They said she went into hiding after leaving the hospital.
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State Police provided some clarity on how she was able to leave the hospital: If she had been arrested at the hospital, a trooper would be required to stand guard 24/7 until her release. However, due to a lack of manpower and the fact that her release time was unknown, it wasn’t feasible to have a trooper stand watch when her identity was already known, police added.
Troopers secured a warrant for her arrest on Jan. 3, and she turned herself in on Jan. 22.
At the bond hearing, Goodwin's attorney, S.W. Dawson, argued that due to her injuries sustained in the crash, Goodwin is immobile. He also stated that she doesn't have a history of alcohol abuse and should be released into her mother's care. Goodwin's mother told Judge Webster she was unaware of her daughter's location before Goodwin turned herself in.
Prosecutors argued that Goodwin's actions show she's a danger to the public.
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Walker's family said Judge Webster denying bond was one step forward in their long process of grieving.
"It's like any death of anybody. [Shelby Walker] was well loved, had a lot of cousins and relatives and all of us were hurt. Those are things you're hurt and you deal with it. You deal with it, do the best you can with it, that's all you can do. You can't bring them back," said Riddick.
Riddick was just one of several family members who attended the hearing. He said, "We're supporting Shelby. That's what we are doing. This is a formal way of supporting Shelby."
If Goodwin is convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison. A prior partially suspended sentence for a felony child abuse charge could come back into play.
Goodwin's scheduled to be back in court in March.
