Ashley Bailey’s son, who is three-years-old, was also in the car that was hit, and he was treated and later discharged. Sandra Strickland was accused of driving under the influence and vehicular homicide. The police bodycam footage was a vital component in a preliminary hearing on Friday, related to a Wilson County case about the death of the 27-year-old mother that happened nearly two years ago on Lebanon’s downtown square.
Sandra Strickland, aged 72, is facing various charges inclusive of first offense DUI and vehicular homicide related to the fatal accident that occurred on April 25, 2022. Alcohol has been confirmed to have been a factor. Bailey’s little boy was in the vehicle during the accident, was treated at a local health facility, and discharged, according to the Lebanon Police. The bodycam footage was played in court to help decide the potential testimonies and reports of expert witnesses to be considered at the upcoming trial scheduled for March 4 in Wilson County.
Roger Davis, the father-in-law to Ashley Bailey, described the footage as analogous to a horror film with a known ending. Officers who responded to the incident suspected Sandra Strickland was under the influence as she struggled to recall the details of the incident from the video shown in court.
The defense attorney, Donnavon Vasek, had raised questions on the procedures carried out on the scene due to Strickland’s lack of comprehension and whether other potential medical factors were sufficiently evaluated before her arrest. The video displayed the interaction between Strickland, the officers, and emergency personnel at a disconcerting scene leading to her arrest after sobriety tests.
The hearing in front of Judge Michael Collins will resume on January 23 as it wasn’t completed on Friday. A request for change of trial location is also anticipated to be deliberated then.
Ashley Bailey had graduated from Central Magnet High School in Rutherford County in 2013 and she was a basketball player in her early years. She was fond of horses and the outdoors according to her family. A civil lawsuit was filed last year related to the case, accusing employees at Lebanon Chili’s Grill & Bar of knowingly over-serving alcohol to Strickland and allowing her to leave the restaurant before the accident.
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