By Monique Roth
L’Observateur

HAHNVILLE — A LaPlace woman was sentenced Thursday to serve 30 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections following her guilty plea to three counts of vehicular homicide, one count of third-degree feticide and one count of first degree vehicular negligent injuring.

Jennifer Englade, 42, entered a guilty plea to the charges in connection with a May 2013 St. Charles Parish wreck that killed three people, including a pregnant woman.

“This conviction and sentence can’t undo the unspeakable pain inflicted on the victims and their families in this case, all of which was caused by the criminal actions of Jennifer Englade,” St. Charles District Attorney Joel Chaisson II said. “We can only hope that the lengthy prison sentence she will serve will act as a deterrent to others who might contemplate driving while intoxicated.”

Assistant District Attorney Bill Starr said Englade will be required to serve at least 85 percent of the sentence, which equates to over 25 years.

Englade, who authorities said was drunk, was operating a 2006 Pontiac G6 northbound on Airline Highway in the early morning hours of May 26, 2013, when she crossed the raised median for unknown reasons. As the Pontiac entered the southbound lanes of travel, it was struck on its right side by a 2001 Honda Civic, driven by Romishe Mejia-Fequier, 23, of Harvey.

Englade was wearing a seat belt and was taken to the Interim LSU Public Hospital Level 1 Trauma Center. Romishe Mejia-Fequier was pronounced dead on the scene.

She was also wearing a seat belt.

Joshua Jones, 29, of Sulphur was the front seat passenger in the Pontiac. He was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle upon impact and pronounced dead on the scene.

Mejia Medena, 20, of Harvey was the front seat passenger of the Honda. He was wearing a seat belt and sustained critical injuries and was transported to the Level 1 Trauma Center.

Esther Centeno, 20, of Bridge City was the right rear passenger in the Honda. Centeno, who was pregnant, was wearing a seat belt and pronounced dead on the scene.

According Chaisson, Englade has a previous history of driving under the influence and pleaded guilty at least three times since 1999 to the charge.