Woman from West Plains Charged with Drunk Driving after Crash Killed One, Injured Two Others

A woman is in custody in Howell County after she admitted to drinking before crashing a car that killed a man and injured two others.

Investigators say 20-year-old Taylor Hamby was driving a Jeep Cherokee along Highway ZZ in the early morning hours of Saturday, December 23, when the car went off the road, hit three separate fences and then flipped in a nearby field.

Highway Patrol troopers arrived at the scene, and found 28-year-old Brian Powell and two others in the vehicle with injuries.

Powell was later pronounced dead. Hamby and the other two were transported to Ozarks Healthcare with moderate injuries.

When authorities talked with her, she admitted to drinking 5-7 beers prior to operating the vehicle.

Hamby is charged with DWI resulting in a death, and two counts of DWI resulting in physical injury.