STILLWATER, Okla. — A judge on Monday set bond at $1 million and
ordered a psychological evaluation for the suspect in a car crash that
killed four people and wounded nearly 50 at Oklahoma State University's
homecoming parade.
Adacia Chambers, 25, was initially arrested and
detained on suspicion of driving under the influence Saturday. She was
later charged wtih four charges of second-degree murder.
Payne County District Attorney Laura Austin Thomas said she does not believe alcohol was a factor in the crash. But she told The Oklahoman that Chambers would likely be charged with driving under the influence of drugs.
The attorney representing Chambers said he believed mental illness, not intoxication, caused the crash.
"She
doesn't remember a whole lot about what happened," attorney Tony
Coleman told reporters Sunday. "There was a period where I think ... she
could have even blacked out," he said.
"I don't believe right now that she was intoxicated," Coleman told The Oklahoman.
"I have deep concerns about her competency at this point. I'm not a
psychologist or psychiatrist, but I can tell you she's suffering from
mental illness."
Police Capt. Kyle Gibbs declined to discuss the
evidence against Chambers and asked any witnesses with photos and videos
to contact investigators.
Thomas said Chambers would likely address bond conditions before a judge Monday afternoon.
Coleman said family members who were with Chambers late Friday did
not see her consume any alcohol. Her boyfriend said she was sober when
she left for work at a restaurant about 8:30 a.m. Saturday, he said.
The
car was not part of the homecoming parade, according to police. Gibbs
said Chambers drove her Elantra through several barriers and hit a
parked police motorcycle before careening into the crowd.
Witnesses
described a scene of chaos as bodies flew into the air from the impact
and landed on the road. Three adults and a 2-year-old boy were killed
and at least 46 others were hurt, including at least four critically
injured. Hospitals initially said five were critically injured, but one
of those was upgraded to fair condition on Sunday.
Chambers' father, Floyd Chambers of Oologah, told The Oklahoman he
couldn't believe his daughter was involved and said she was not an
alcoholic. He described her as "timid" and said she had attended
homecoming festivities Friday night with family, but her boyfriend told
him she was home by 10 p.m.
"This is just not who she is. They're
going to paint her into a horrible person but this is not (her)," Floyd
Chambers told the paper.
Two of the deceased were identified as
local residents Bonnie Jean Stone and Marvin Lyle Stone, both 65. A
third adult killed was Nikita Prabhakar Nakal, of Mumbai, India. She was
a student at the University of Central Oklahoma, according to that
school's president, Don Betz.
Oklahoma State identified the 2-year-old boy as Nash Lucas of Stillwater.
Marvin Stone was a retired professor of agricultural engineering, who had been popular with students, a colleague said.
"He
was loved by students and one of the best teachers we had," said Ron
Elliott, the former head of the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
Department at OSU.
"He just really had a gift for connecting with students and helping them learn," Elliott said in a telephone interview.
The
homecoming game against Kansas was played as scheduled, players bowing
their heads in prayer as the American flag fluttered at half-staff
in Boone Pickens Stadium under orders from Gov. Mary Fallin, an Oklahoma
State alumnus who attended the game. The university's homecoming is a
major celebration, drawing more than 80,000 alumni, fans and area
residents downtown. A pep rally before the game was canceled, said
Stillwater Mayor Gina Noble, who was the parade's grand marshal. The
undefeated Cowboys beat winless Kansas 58-10.
Noble said the town's 50,000 residents are still in shock.
"We've
never seen anything like this. We're taking our time to make sure we
get everything right," she said. "We're shocked. We are definitely
subdued in mood and we're still trying to understand."
Contributing: John Bacon, Greg Toppo, USA TODAY