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Authorities: Woman Drove Drunk Causing I-94 Pileup, Has 2 Prior OWIs

MT. CLEMENS (WWJ) - A 30 year-old Romulus woman with two prior drunken driving convictions is accused of driving drunk when she caused a six-car crash on I-94.

Julie Lynn Vaughn was arraigned via video in the 41B District Court of Clinton Township Friday on two charges: operating while intoxicated (OWI) causing serious injury and driving while license suspended, causing serious injury in connection with the incident Wednesday night.

According to the Macomb County Sheriff's Office, Vaughn was driving a silver 2002 Dodge Durango when she rear-ended another vehicle shortly before midnight on westbound I-94 near the North River Road exit.

The collision resulted in a chain-reaction crash that ended up involving five other vehicles, investigators said. The freeway was wet from heavy rains at the time of the crash.

Vaughn told deputies at the scene that she could not remember exactly what had happened, and deputies sensed that she was intoxicated.

She denied she'd been drinking, but a preliminary breath test indicated that she was above the legal limit. She was taken to a local hospital for treatment of her injuries and a search warrant was requested for a blood draw. The results of the draw are pending.

Vaughn was released from the hospital Thursday and taken to the Macomb County Jail where she remained held on a $10,000, 10 percent cash-or-surety bond.

Sheriff's officials say Vaughn's previous OWI convictions were in Westland in 2004 and Inkster in 2008.

She is due back in court on Wednesday, Oct. 12.

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