PARIS, Maine — The driver in a January crash that killed two pleaded not guilty Tuesday to manslaughter and other charges associated with the crash.
Kristina Lowe, 19, of Oxford, is charged in the deaths of Rebecca Mason, 16, of West Paris and Logan Dam, 19, of Norway. Lowe faces two counts of manslaughter, two counts of operating under the influence and one count of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash resulting in death.
She pleaded not guilty to all five charges Tuesday morning in Oxford County Superior Court. Lowe was released on May 2 on $50,000 unsecured bail.
Police say Lowe was drinking and sending text messages while driving 75 miles per hour on Route 219 when she lost control of a 2002 Subaru car, slamming into a stand of trees. Dam and Mason were killed instantly in the one-car crash, and a third passenger, Jacob Skaff, 22, of Paris suffered minor injuries.
An affidavit said a blood test showed Lowe had detectable amounts of marijuana in her system and that she admitted to police she was driving and texting at the time of the crash.
Her attorney, James Howaniec, denies she was drunk or texting and said Lowe lost control when the car hit a patch of ice.
Lowe’s bail remains at $50,000 unsecured bond. She is barred from contact with the state’s witnesses in the case or with any members of the victims’ families.