A Californian woman has appeared in court accused of killing an aspiring doctor by intentionally driving into oncoming traffic on Interstate 5 in early January.
Wheelchair-bound Grace Elizabeth Ward is reported to have told investigators that she deliberately carried out the maneuver because she wanted to kill herself, Krcrtv.com reported.
She is now facing one charge of second-degree murder, three counts of attempted murder, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of vandalism.
Wheelchair-bound Grace Elizabeth Ward, appearing on court Thursday, told investigators that she deliberately carried out the maneuver because she wanted to kill herself
Ryan Folsom was just starting a medical career and was preparing to welcome his third child when he was allegedly killed by Ward’s car near Redding on the night of January 7.
Ward (above) is alleged to have hit Folsom’s car with such force that it ended up in the ditch adjoining the freeway – he died in hospital and she suffered a broken leg
Ward, 28, is alleged initially to have unsuccessfully tried to cross the center median where she collided with the cable barrier.
She was eventually able to get her vehicle through the cable by finding an opening meant for emergency vehicles.
Ward is then alleged to have stopped her vehicle, facing in a south-westerly direction between the northbound and southbound lanes.
Officials say she waited in that area for about seven minutes before accelerating her vehicle into oncoming traffic by traveling northbound in the southbound lanes.
Three vehicles narrowly managed to avoid collisions with Ward before she struck Folsom’s car.
One driver told Krcrtv that she seemed determined to cause a collision and that it was only a question of time before she did so.
Ryan Folsom (above) had two sons aged four and two with his wife expecting their third child in January
Interstate 5 is one of the busiest roads in California and Ward is alleged to have found a way through it before she deliberately drove into oncoming traffic
Ward eventually hit Folsom’s car with such force that it ended up in the ditch adjoining the freeway – he died in hospital and she suffered a broken leg.
Investigators who arrived at the scene of the accident say they found a cell phone on the ground near Ward’s vehicle which she used to call her mother prior to the crash.
She is reported to have told her that she wanted to kill herself and ended the conversation shortly before she accelerated towards oncoming traffic.
Folsom was a husband, father, and aspiring doctor who was on his way to attend interviews as part of his training.
He had two sons aged four and two with his wife expecting their third child in January.