BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Raleigh County grand jury has indicted a woman on multiple felony charges in connection with an April crash on the Coalfields Expressway that claimed the life of 24-year-old Baylea Bower of Bloomingrose.
Destany Hope Lester was indicted on four counts, according to court records filed September 12.
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She is charged with driving impaired causing death, possession of a controlled substance, underage consumption of alcohol, and possession of alcoholic beverages.
The indictment alleges that on April 20, 2025, Lester drove a vehicle while in an impaired state, and that impairment directly caused the death of Bower.
In addition to the impaired driving charge, jurors found probable cause that Lester unlawfully possessed cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance, without a prescription.
She also faces allegations of consuming alcohol and non-intoxicating beer despite being under the legal drinking age of 21. At the time of the crash, Lester was 19 years old.
The indictment, signed by Prosecuting Attorney Tom Truman and the foreman of the grand jury, formally charges Lester with the offenses. If convicted, she faces significant prison time under West Virginia law.
The case is set to proceed in Raleigh County Circuit Court.
