Illinois man charged with DWI in deadly Audrain County crash

MEXICO, Mo. (KMIZ)

An Illinois man has been charged after he is accused of driving while intoxicated causing the death of a Columbia woman after a crash in Audrain County on Friday.

Mexico Public Safety Department said in a release, Tyler W. Herman, 30 of Bloomington, Illinois was arrested after investigators learned he was allegedly driving while intoxicated which led to a deadly crash on Friday.

Prosecutors charged Herman with DWI- Death of Another, armed criminal action, and a misdemeanor count of operating a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent driving involving an accident.

Police said Herman was driving a red 2017 Dodge pickup truck in the southbound lane at the Highway 54 bypass, about a half-mile south of E Liberty Road. Officials said in the release that witnesses said it looked like Herman was trying to pass other cars by driving in the northbound lane.

The victim was identified as Mary L Piper, 70, of Columbia.

Police said Herman hit the Toyota SUV Piper was driving and both vehicles caught fire.

According to Mexico Public Safety, Piper died before first responders arrived at the scene. Herman was removed from his truck and taken to University Hospital.

Court documents state a police officer tried to talk to Herman as he was being put into the ambulance but had trouble understanding him as he reported he was talking with a slur and mumbling. The officer also said Herman smelled of alcohol.

Police said in a probable cause statement that Herman told them he had been drinking a couple of hours before the crash.

Herman was arrested in Bloomington after the Audrain County Prosecuting Attorney obtained an arrest warrant for the charges.

The release states he is currently in jail. The Audrain County Sheriff's Office told ABC 17 News on Tuesday he was not in their custody and would still need to be extradited back to Missouri.