Man charged in crash that killed pregnant woman

A 25-year-old man has been arrested and charged in a two-vehicle collision in southwest Wichita that killed a pregnant woman, a police official said Wednesday. The woman’s baby – delivered after the crash – died six days later.

The man, Zachary Lee Brown, has been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the deaths of Trevadawn Pauley and her daughter, after the Aug. 19 crash. He also faces three counts of aggravated battery.

The criminal complaint filed in Sedgwick County District Court accuses Brown of “unlawfully and recklessly” killing the pair and of unlawfully and recklessly causing “great bodily harm or disfigurement” to three people who were injured in the collision.

Dressed in orange jail garb, he made his first appearance in court Wednesday afternoon and spoke briefly with District Judge Joe Kisner over a two-way video feed that links the courthouse to the Sedgwick County Jail, where Brown is being held on $50,000 bond.

Asked whether he understood the charges, Brown replied: “I think so.”

He told the judge he planned to hire an attorney rather than accept court-appointed counsel. Kisner then scheduled his preliminary hearing for Oct. 22, though the date could be postponed.

Wichita police Lt. Travis Rakestraw said authorities booked Brown into jail late Tuesday. He said on Aug. 19, a car carrying the victims – including a pregnant Pauley – was turning left on Meridian at Esthner, in southwest Wichita, when a Nissan Pathfinder SUV coming south struck the car.

Doctors delivered the baby, who was in her seventh month of development, shortly after the collision. Pauley, 21, died early the next morning from her injuries. The baby died Aug. 26, according to court documents.

Three others in the Mercury – a 21-year-old man who was driving, a 24-year-old man and a 17-year-old male – were injured. The teen was critically injured, a hospital spokeswoman said at the time.

Three people in the SUV also were injured.

In an affidavit filed with the court, Brown identified himself as married and employed by a local tree service. Court records show he was charged in 2012 with driving on a suspended, canceled or revoked license, a misdemeanor.

This story was originally published October 8, 2014 at 10:58 AM with the headline "Man charged in crash that killed pregnant woman."