Waynesboro woman charged with manslaughter has case sent to grand jury
Brianca E. Estes, 31, is charged in the killing of Brittany J. Comer, 31, of Waynesboro.
Estes, who was driving her wife, is suspected of being behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Tahoe the morning of Feb. 25 when she crossed a double-yellow line on Hopeman Parkway in Waynesboro near Evershire Street to pass a motorist. Instead, Estes' SUV slammed into Comer's oncoming Honda CR-V near Kate Collins Middle School. Comer, who had two young children in her vehicle, one of them her daughter, died instantly.
Comer, who had two daughters, was killed on the morning of her 31st birthday, her obituary said.
The crash took place near a 25 mph school zone that Estes was about to enter as she drove westbound. A black box in her SUV showed the impact speed was 72 mph, Waynesboro Commonwealth's Attorney David Ledbetter said at a prior bond hearing.
At the preliminary hearing, held in Waynesboro General District Court, Aaron Mabe, a witness, said he was driving in the same direction as Estes when she overtook his vehicle at a high rate of speed before slamming into Comer's Honda.
Mabe said after the crash that he tended to the injured girls, one who had a broken leg and the other who had facial lacerations. One of the girls was "yelling for her mom," he said. Comer's body, still in the Honda, was motionless, he testified.
Ledbetter said Comer's cause of death was listed by the medical examiner's office as blunt trauma.
A nearby resident's Ring camera recorded the crash, which was played for Judge Christopher M. Billias.
Sgt. Micah Holmes, of the Waynesboro Police Department, who noted the injured children each had a broken arm as well, testified that Estes' wife suffered a head injury and was taken to UVA Health in Charlottesville. She has since been released and, after undergoing rehabilitation, is "doing OK," he said.
Asked about Estes' demeanor at the scene, Holmes said she told him she couldn't remember the crash. Holmes said he felt she was also possibly impaired. "She was shaking. Manic would be a way to describe it," he said.
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Questioned by Holmes several hours later after being hospitalized, Estes, who reportedly suffers from bipolar disorder, admitted to using fentanyl at 4 a.m., less than fours hours before the fatal crash, according to Holmes' testimony. The sergeant said Estes told him she was an everyday fentanyl user and was only doing enough to stave off sickness and detox.
Holmes said she also admitted to using methamphetamine the night before as well. Blood tests showed the amount of meth in her system was four times the legal limit allowed in Virginia, according to evidence. She also had THC in her system.
During her police interview, Holmes said Estes was "still manic," and said she continually opened and closed her jaw. At the preliminary hearing, Estes rocked back and forth nearly the entire hearing while quietly sobbing at points.
Billias found probable cause and certified the involuntary manslaughter charge to the Waynesboro grand jury.
In March, Ledbetter said he was contemplating upping the charge to aggravated involuntary manslaughter, which carries the possibility of up to 20 years in prison. "There are certainly more charges coming," the prosecutor said at the time.
Estes, who is being represented by Jessica Armstrong of the Staunton Public Defender's Office, remains at Middle River Regional Jail in Verona. She is being held without bond.
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Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter).
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Waynesboro woman's manslaughter case heads to grand jury
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