A woman involved in a fatal head-on collision east of Ames has been arrested on two counts of vehicular homicide.
Ashley Taylor, 41, of Slater, was allegedly driving a white 2017 Jeep Renegade in the eastbound lane of Highway 30 on May 28 in the wrong direction when she collided with a gray 2006 Chevy Impala driven by Christian Royston, 26.
The Story County Sheriff’s Office responded to the accident around 11:30 p.m. Royston was pronounced dead at the scene, while Taylor was transported by air ambulance to a Des Moines area hospital with serious injuries, according to a press release from the Story County Sheriff’s Office.
Taylor was arrested Monday, June 23, on five criminal charges, according to a Story County Sheriff’s Office press release. She was charged with vehicular homicide, vehicular homicide − reckless driving, operating while intoxicated, driving while suspended, and driving on the wrong side of the highway.
Taylor was allegedly intoxicated, did not know where she was
Witnesses at the scene of the accident allegedly did not see headlights from an oncoming car, nor did they see the vehicle driving in the correct direction apply their brakes, according to court documents.
Two “sealed bottles of fell to the ground from the driver’s position” when Taylor was helped out of her vehicle, according to the court documents.
Responding officers on the scene noticed a strong smell of alcohol coming from inside the vehicle, and they also smelled alcohol when Taylor was in the ambulance, according to court documents.
Taylor allegedly urinated on herself and was described in court documents as “confused” about why she was driving. Officers said she allegedly did not know how she got onto Highway 30. Taylor allegedly did not know where she was, where she came from, or where she was headed.
A search warrant for Taylor’s blood sample was executed on May 29. She was being held in the Story County Jail on a $250,300 bond. Taylor posted bond on Tuesday, June 24, according to court documents.
Royston was passionate about sports journalism
The deceased driver involved in the collision, Christian Royston, graduated from Roosevelt High School in Des Moines in 2016, according to his obituary. He later received a George Washington Carver scholarship to attend Iowa State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering in 2020.
Royston returned to Iowa State following the COVID-19 pandemic to follow his dream of becoming a sports journalist. He recently completed all the necessary coursework and internships for his journalism degree.
Royston worked at the Iowa State Daily as a reporter and sports editor and created podcasts. He also held internships with the Iowa Barnstormers professional indoor football team as social media coordinator and as a sportswriter and editor for the Carroll Times Herald in Carroll.
Royston, according to his obit, moved to St Louis Park, Minnesota, in 2024 and had plans to move back to Iowa to begin full-time work as a sports journalist.
(This article has been updated to add new information.)
Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Slater woman charged with vehicular homicide, drunk driving in fatal wrong-way Hwy. 30 crash
Reporting by Celia Brocker, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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