Aug 24, 2018 2 min read

A Monongahela woman was arraigned Thursday on charges including homicide by vehicle in a crash that killed her passenger in March 2017 on Route 19 at the Route 519 cloverleaf in North Strabane Township.

Tyra Laann Daube, 21, of 421 Second St., was arraigned before District Judge Jay Weller on charges of homicide by vehicle, homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol, involuntary manslaughter, driving under the influence of marijuana, driving over the divider and other traffic violations.

Elizabeth Bright, 20, of Monongahela, was a front-seat passenger on March 16, 2017, when Daube’s car crashed into a sport utility vehicle. Bright, who was not wearing a seat belt, died at the scene. Daube was trapped in the wreckage and had to be freed by township firefighters. She was taken to Allegheny General Hospital for treatment.

An officer told Sgt. David Richards, who filed the charges against Daube, he could smell the odor of burnt marijuana in the car as Daube was being freed from the wreckage.

Richards determined Daube had been driving south on Route 19 just before the bridge that takes the road over Route 19 when her car crossed offer the median and crashed into the northbound sport utility vehicle that was in the left lane. The driver of the SUV and two children in that vehicle were injured. They were treated at Canonsburg Hospital and released.

Blood was drawn at the Pittsburgh hospital. It was later sent to a laboratory for testing for controlled substances. Daube allegedly admitted to Richards later she had smoked marijuana before the crash and could not remember what happened.

A search warrant was obtained for her car, and police said they found a small amount of marijuana and a marijuana grinder.

Daube was released on $50,000 unsecured bond. She faces a Sept. 25 preliminary hearing before Weller.