Woman gets 4 to 8 years in prison for fatal DUI crash in East Hills
A Hazelwood woman will spend at least four years in prison for killing her close friend in a 2018 drunk-driving crash.
Kai Roberts, 36, pleaded guilty in February to homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence and DUI before Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Jill E. Rangos.
According to the criminal complaint, Roberts was driving a black Chevy Equinox on Frankstown Avenue in East Hills on March 19, 2018, when she lost control and struck a utility pool.
Roberts’ front-seat passenger, Isis Mitchell, 42, was killed in the crash. Prosecutors said they were best friends.
Investigators said that the vehicle’s airbag control module showed that neither woman was wearing a seat belt, and that there was no braking in the moments before the crash.
The speed one second prior to impact was 34 mph — and had increased from 23 mph.
Police said Roberts showed signs of impairment after the crash, including the smell of alcohol on her breath, bloodshot, watery eyes, mumbled speech and a sleepy demeanor.
Her blood alcohol content was 0.15% — nearly twice the legal limit for driving.
In addition to the prison term, Rangos ordered Roberts to serve three years of probation.
Paula Reed Ward is a TribLive reporter covering federal and Allegheny County courts. She joined the Trib in 2020 after spending nearly 17 years at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where she was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team. She is the author of "Death by Cyanide." She can be reached at pward@triblive.com.
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