Driver Faces Vehicular Manslaughter-Felony Charges After DUI Crash in Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- The Grand Jury for the City of Alexandria has returned an indictment regarding the death of Peter Palm, a 62 year-old city resident, the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney, Alexandria announced Wednesday.

Palm died Nov. 19 from injuries he suffered after being struck by a vehicle driven by Kyeshia Arrington, a 24 year-old Alexandria resident. Arrington remained at the scene.

Arrington was charged with Aggravated Vehicular Manslaughter-Felony and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol-Misdemeanor. The charges arose from a crash Oct. 8 in the 200 block of N. Henry Street (see map below). Palm was walking across North Henry Street when he was struck by a vehicle operated by the defendant. Police were called shortly after 2 a.m. Palm remained hospitalized after the crash and succumbed to his injuries on Nov. 19.

Aggravated Vehicular Manslaughter is a felony offense that carries a potential maximum penalty of 20 years of incarceration in prison, the Commonwealth Attorney's Office pointed out. DUI is a misdemeanor offense that carries a potential maximum penalty of 12 months in jail and/or a fine of not more than $2500. The driver's license of a person convicted of Vehicular Manslaughter is revoked indefinitely.

Commonwealth's Attorney Bryan Porter said: "While outstanding progress has been made in the fight against drunk driving, there is still work to be done. Drunk driving is a serious offense that, unfortunately, can cause tragic results. Particularly in this holiday season, citizens should understand that the Alexandria Police Department aggressively enforces our drunk driving laws and my office aggressively prosecutes violations."

Approximate location of Oct. 8 crash (Google maps):

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