ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis Circuit Court judge signed an arrest warrant Friday for a woman charged in a fatal drunk driving crash last fall in downtown St. Louis.
According to a St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson, the crash occurred around 1 a.m. on Oct. 13, 2024, at the intersection of 14th and Market streets near the Stifel Theater.
Police said a Dodge Durango was traveling westbound on Market when the driver, who was allegedly speeding and under the influence of alcohol, went through a red light and collided with a Dodge Caravan that had entered the intersection with a green light.
The driver of the Durango, later identified as Melissa Westbrook, 35, was hospitalized, along with three passengers in her vehicle. The driver of the Caravan and a passenger were also rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately, the passenger in the Durango, Tunisha Chestnutt, was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital. She was 32.
The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office charged Westbrook with first-degree involuntary manslaughter, armed criminal action, and DWI – death of another. Westbrook will be jailed without bond.