Woman appears in court following DUI crash that killed 3 teens

Mariam Coulibaly, 31, charged with DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A South Florida woman accused of killing three teens while driving drunk in North Miami appeared in court Thursday.

Mariam Coulibaly, 31, was bandaged from injuries she sustained in the crash.

"I understand that she is banged up right now. That is of her own doing," prosecutor Laura Adams said. 

Adams didn't mince words for Coulibaly, who's facing three counts of DUI manslaughter and three counts of vehicular homicide stemming from the May 25 crash that took the lives of Gideon Desir, 13; Lens Desir, 15; and Richecarde Dumay, 17.

"She wiped out those three lives," Adams said. 

The deadly collision happened around 5:30 a.m. May 25 in the area of Northeast 125th Street and 13th Place. 

Police said the teens were walking to catch a bus bound for a soccer tournament when Coulibaly struck and killed all three of them with her vehicle. Coulibaly spent several days in the hospital before being booked into jail. 

"Her driving record is one of the most atrocious I've ever seen in 25 years of handling traffic prosecutions," Adams said.

According to the arrest report, police smelled alcohol coming from Coulibaly's car. They also said they heard Coulibaly telling medical staff that she had been partying before the crash and found surveillance video of her at a strip club. 

"This defendant was visibly drunk. We have video footage of her at the club, leaving stumbling drunk," Adams said. 

Police said Coulibaly's blood alcohol level was found to be nearly twice the legal limit after the crash.

Coulibaly's bond was set at $300,000. If she posts bail, she will be placed on house arrest with a GPS ankle monitor. She will also be fitted with an alcohol detection bracelet and will be prohibited from drinking alcohol or driving. She will also be subject to random alcohol and drug testing. 
 


About the Author:

Liane Morejon is an Emmy-winning reporter who joined the Local 10 News family in January 2010. Born and raised in Coral Gables, Liane has a unique perspective on covering news in her own backyard.