Westland Woman Gets 7-15 Years For Intentionally Causing Fatal Crash

DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit-area woman authorities say intentionally crashed her car into another vehicle and killed the other driver has been sentenced to 7 to 15 years in prison.

A Wayne County Circuit Court jury this month convicted Ponya Lee of manslaughter, reckless driving causing death and malicious destruction of property.

Authorities say that the 28-year-old Westland woman got into an argument with another woman on the phone.

They say Lee told the woman she was going to crash her car, then ignored a traffic signal in Westland and struck a crashed into another car.

The crash killed 55-year-old driver Patricia Nwaneri of Ypsilanti, a mother of four who was on her way to her nursing job.

According to police, Lee was driving her ex-girlfriend's car and talking with her on the phone when they got into an argument. Investigators say Lee got so angry during the conversation that at some point, she told her friend that she was going to crash the vehicle.

Investigators say Lee intentionally sped up to approximately 60 MPH and drove through a red light at the intersection of Warren and Wayne roads in Westland, before crashing into Nwaneri's vehicle. Nwaneri, a 55-year-old mother of four, was headed to her nursing job.

Both Lee and Nwaneri, who was alert when the firefighters arrived, were rushed to the hospital. Lee was released after being treated, while Nwaneri later died.

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)