A 19-year old woman who drove a car into the Elwha River on Sunday morning, in a wreck that killed two passengers, is expected to appear in U.S. District Court in Tacoma today.
The federal government is expected to ask Federal Magistrate Judge J. Kelly Arnold to keep Sela Anne Kalama, a member of the Quinault Indian Tribe in custody.
Kalama was charged Monday with involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of Ronnie Scroggins, 15, and Vanna Francis, 17.
According to court documents, Kalama told investigators that she drank 14 to 16 cans of beer at a party before driving.
According to court documents, others in the car interviewed Sunday said they did not witness Kalama drinking.
Crimes that involve violence or minors are some of those eligible for a federal magistrate to sign a detention order keeping a defendant in custody until the trial.
Because Kalama is a member of the Quinault tribe and the tragedy happened on land held in trust for the Lower Elwha tribe, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the federal court system have oversight.
