St. Petersburg woman was impaired with 2 kids in car, killed other motorist, police say

A 37-year-old St. Petersburg woman is facing multiple charges after police say she drove under the influence with two children in her car and hit another motorist, ultimately killing him Monday night.

Ieasha Boyd was booked into the Pinellas County jail a little after midnight on Tuesday, according to jail records. Boyd is facing charges of DUI manslaughter and two counts of neglect of a child without great bodily harm. Boyd was released from jail on $20,000 bail, according to jail records.

According to a news release from the St. Petersburg Police Department, Boyd was driving a silver BMW 750IL about 7:30 p.m. Monday with a 12-year-old and a 5-year-old in the car with her. The 5-year-old was not sitting in a car seat at the time of the crash. Boyd was driving west on 38th Avenue North, approaching the intersection with 40th Street North in St. Petersburg, according to police.

Boyd hit an orange Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck that was traveling north on 40th Street, which was driven by Miguel Diaz Arzola, 62, according to police. The crash caused Arzola’s pickup truck to roll over.

St. Petersburg Fire Rescue extricated Arzola from his pickup and he was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The two children were taken to All Children’s Hospital to be evaluated for minor injuries, police said.

Police did not find any skid marks at the scene, indicating that Boyd never tried to stop, according to an arrest affidavit from St. Petersburg police. After officers spoke with witnesses, evaluated the damage to both cars and the distance Boyd’s car traveled after the crash, police determined Boyd was “traveling at a high rate of speed,” the affidavit states.

The affidavit said the car smelled of marijuana after the crash, and officers found an open bottle of wine on the ground near Boyd’s car.

Officers evaluated Boyd, according to the affidavit, and determined she had bloodshot, watery eyes and was moving slowly. Officers determined Boyd was under the influence of alcohol and a controlled substance, the affidavit states.

Police did not release the children’s relationship to Boyd, citing a Florida public records statute.