The woman who was behind the wheel of a car that crashed in October, killing a teen passenger, has pleaded guilty.
Madison Michelle Bagwell, 20, entered the plea on Wednesday at the Greenville County Courthouse, her attorney present alongside her.
Bagwell also said she would agree to testify against the father of the young woman who was killed, who had allegedly provided the girls with alcohol on the night the crash occurred.
Bagwell was 19-years-old when the crash occurred on October 13, which resulted in the death of her friend, 17-year-old Jessica Adams.
According to statements read in court, the night began with Jessica’s father, 39-year-old Nicholas Adams, installing a sound system in Bagwell’s Jeep while the three smoked marijuana. Later, Bagwell gave Nicholas Adams her debit card, pin number and cash so that he could purchase alcohol for the girls while they waited in the car.
Bagwell and Jessica Adams then drove to Travelers Rest Speedway where they kept drinking until midnight, at which point Bagwell, Jessica Adams and an unnamed 13-year-old got in the car and drove home. They were on US 25 when Bagwell tried to pass another vehicle, at which point she lost control of her Jeep and her vehicle flipped over a median. Jessica died after being ejected from the vehicle, while the unnamed 13-year-old suffered a brain injury.
Bagwell’s blood alcohol level was .11, and she also had marijuana and Xanax in her system. She did not have a prescription for the Xanax, an anti-anxiety medication which causes severe lethargy and poor motor function, which is highly exacerbated when mixed with alcohol. There was additional marijuana found in her purse at the scene of the crash.
She pleaded guilty in court to DUI resulting in death, DUI resulting in great bodily injury, possession of marijuana, child endangerment and being a minor in possession of alcohol.
This is Bagwell’s second DUI, after wrecking her car into a tree off a Pickens County Road in 2017.
She could face up to 40 years in prison and fines of more than $35,000.
She will remain in custody as she awaits her sentencing.
