(Stillwater, Okla.) – A Stillwater woman was suicidal when she crashed her car into a crowd of people watching Saturday’s OSU Homecoming Parade – causing the deaths of four individuals including a child and injuring 46 others, according to allegations of a police affidavit released Monday.
Adacia Avery Chambers, 25, who has a history of mental health issues, was ordered held in the Payne County Jail on $1 million bail Monday on four complaints of second-degree murder pending the filing of formal charges on Nov. 13.
Killed at the crash scene were Marvin and Bonnie Stone, both 65, of Stillwater, and Nikita Prabhakar Nakal, 23, of Edmond, authorities said. A two-year-old boy, Nash Lucas of Stillwater, later died at Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City as a result of his injuries.
Forty-six others were injured in the collision, according to Stillwater Police Captain Kyle Gibbs.
Payne County District Attorney Laura Austin Thomas told a KUSH reporter Monday that the defendant’s “suicidal ideation turned into homicide when she ran her 2,700 pound vehicle into the path of men, women and children. That’s depraved mind murder. Alcohol was not involved.”
In a small courtroom packed with about 50 observers, Chambers was arraigned by video Monday afternoon from the Payne County Jail, where she is being held in isolation, Sheriff’s Captain Kevin Woodward said.
A young woman who came to the courthouse to see Chambers’ demeanor, which was not visible since the video screen was facing the judge away from the observers, told a KUSH reporter, “I hope she gets what she deserves.”
“My 13-year-old brother was standing on the other side,” of the street by CVS Pharmacy, where he was not injured, Natalie Harrison of Stillwater said. “All he said was he saw bodies flying everywhere.”
Special District Judge Katherine Thomas on Monday granted defense attorney Tony Coleman’s motion that Chambers be given a psychological evaluation in jail.
“It’s extremely crucial she receive an evaluation as quickly as possible. I think there’s something wrong with her. She has a flat affect state, non-responsive,” the defense attorney from Oklahoma City said after court recessed.
The attorney said when he first met his client Saturday in the Stillwater City Jail, “I mentioned people were killed – it had no effect on her.”
Asked about her mental health history, the defense attorney said that Chambers had been hospitalized on at least two occasions, but he did not know her diagnosis.
About two years ago, she spent two weeks in a Wagoner mental health facility, the defense attorney said he was told by Chambers’ family.
“There was an episode at home at a family gathering. She got up and walked down the middle of the highway,” the defense attorney said.
At the hospital, “They put her on different medications. She was foaming at the mouth, walking in a zombie-like state, arms extended out,” the defense attorney said.
Chambers, who grew up in Oologah where she was an honor student and active in the band, “said she felt better,” and got out of the hospital, he said.
“Another episode occurred a short time after. She was taken to an Indian hospital. She’s Cherokee,” the defense attorney said.
He said that when he saw Chambers in the Payne County Jail after she was transferred from the Stillwater City Jail, she said, “Can you please remind me what we talked about?”
“She does not have the where with all to realize she’s in a different jail. She hasn’t asked to see anyone,” the defense attorney said.
He insisted that Chambers “wasn’t on anything,” at the time of the crash.
The defense attorney said that Chambers lived with her father in Oologah until she moved to Stillwater about eight months ago.
“Her boyfriend said she cut on herself in the past eight months,” he said.
On the day of the crash, “We know she went to work and left early. We don’t know why. She was a really good worker, well-liked,” the defense attorney said.
In the Payne County Jail where Chambers has been held since Sunday, the sheriff’s captain said, “We haven’t had any incidents with her. No problems. She is very quiet.”
The crash that took four lives and injured so many others happened “in front of our equine patrol and regular patrol units. They were in the parade escorting the horses.
“We have two in-car videos of the incident. She was moving pretty good when she hit the crowd,” the sheriff’s captain added.
“We have no evidence currently of a blackout,” the DA said.
“The evidence indicates Chambers consciously drove through a red light, around a police barricade, over a police motorcycle and further into a large crowd of highly visible, innocent people enjoying OSU Homecoming Day festivities,” the DA said.
“This was a well-known parade day and route and these innocents were visible from a substantial distance,” the DA emphasized.
Based upon a police affidavit, the prosecution “believes the acts alleged demonstrate a depraved mind and indifference to human life,” the DA said.
“The evidence suggest this was an intentional act, not an accident.
“In the weeks to come, the state will consider additional charges related to surviving injured victims,” the DA added.
According to an affidavit by Stillwater Police Officer Kurt Merrill filed in court records Monday, Chambers’ “vehicle drove into the crowd, striking several people, then veered to the southwest where it struck people along the west edge of the intersection who were gathered near the crosswalk.
“The vehicle continued until it came to rest on the southwest corner of the intersection of Hall of Fame and Main Street,” the affidavit said.
“Due to the incident occurring during a parade event, officers were on scene immediately,” and Chambers was arrested by Millermon, who transported her to the Stillwater Medical Center where her blood was taken by medical staff for testing.
The results of that toxicology test are not yet back, authorities said.
When Chambers was booked into the Stillwater City Jail Saturday, she “admitted to having a history of suicidal attempts and admitted to booking staff that she was suicidal at the time of the incident, but not at the time of booking,” the affidavit alleged.
“Defendant denied having any other medical conditions other than past treatment for mental health related issues,” the affidavit said.
In court Monday, the DA told the judge she was worried about the condition of a fifth victim and noted “this is a complex investigation involving hundreds of witnesses.”
The DA asked for additional time to formally file charges including four counts of second-degree murder, each of which carries a penalty of 10 years to life in prison on conviction. “Any person who witnessed the incident or has other information relevant to this investigation is asked to contact Inspector Greg Miller at the Stillwater Police Department,” at 405-372-4171, the DA said.
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