Amber Peery found guilty on all counts in deaths of Topeka girl scouts

TOPEKA ( KSNT ) – A woman accused of causing a deadly crash which claimed the lives of three Topeka girl scouts in 2022 has been found guilty Thursday.

Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay told 27 News on Aug. 15 that Amber Peery was found guilty during a jury trial of all counts. The trial lasted a total of four days with sentencing scheduled for 10 p.m. on Oct. 3. Her charges include:

• Three counts of reckless involuntary manslaughter.
• Two counts of aggravated battery.
• Improper crossover on a divided highway.
• Fail to check for safe passage before passing from single lane.

Peery was accused of causing a deadly crash in October 2022 that claimed the lives of Laila El Azari, 9, Kylie Lunn, 9, and Brooklyn Peery, 8, all of Topeka. The Kansas Highway Patrol initially reported to the crash site, finding a van, driven by Peery, had tried to turn through a barrier wall on the turnpike when it was hit from behind by a semi-truck.

Two other children were inside the car at the time of the crash with one being taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Peery was also hospitalized in the aftermath of the crash. She was eventually charged in June 2023 .

Dr. Scott McWilliams, superintendent of the Auburn-Washburn school district, issued a statement following the deaths of the three girls. He said the students attended Jay Shideler Elementary and Farley Elementary.

KSNT 27 News spoke with family and friends of Azari and Lunn during a memorial service at a west Topeka apartment complex a year after the crash. The group paid their respects by nailing two butterfly plaques to a tree at the apartment complex where the two girls used to play together.

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