Waldron Brown charged with vehicular homicide, DUI in connection with Sept. crash

FORT PIERCE — Investigators said a drunk driver was traveling 71 mph in a neighborhood when he struck and killed a woman in September.

Police Monday charged Waldron Brown, 39, of the 2000 block of North 45th Street, Fort Pierce, with vehicular homicide, driving under the influence manslaughter, DUI with serious bodily injury and two counts of DUI with property damage.

Carla Smith, 55, was killed in the Sept. 1 collision at Avenue P and North 23rd Street, Fort Pierce police said.

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Brown was driving a Chevrolet Impala east on Avenue P when he ran a stop sign and crashed into the driver side of a southbound Saturn, investigators said.

Smith had two passengers in her vehicle, Shawn Brown, 45, and Geniya Smith, 2, who were treated for their injuries. Geniya is Carla Smith's granddaughter, police said.

Brown had a blood-alcohol content level of .14 at the time of the crash, nearly twice the state's legal limit of .08, police said. When he ran the stop sign, Brown was driving at least 71 mph in a 25-mph zone, investigators said.

Brown was being held at the St. Lucie County Jail in lieu of $530,000 bail Tuesday. He had been charged Sunday with unrelated DUI and weapons charges.

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Lamaur Stancil is a breaking news reporter for Florida Today and TCPalm.com. He can be reached at 321-242-3662 or 321-987-7179. E-mail him at lamaur.stancil@tcpalm.com. Follow him on Twitter at @TCPalmLStancil.

