LINCOLN COUNTY, Mo. – A Lincoln County, Missouri, woman admitted in court on Monday that she was under the influence of drugs and alcohol when she crashed into a tree in 2023 and killed three passengers.

The crash happened around 3:40 a.m. on Feb. 5, 2023, on South Chantilly Road, south of Ethington Road. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said a 2008 Ford Focus was driving north when it briefly flew into the air, skidded off the road, hit a tree, and flipped over.

The driver, Hailey G. Zenk, had to be extricated from the car. She and another passenger had to be airlifted to a St. Louis hospital with serious injuries.

The other three passengers in the car, William Flickinger, 18, Emily McNees, 17, and Kaeden Tyler, 15, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Witness interviews indicated Zenk and others in the vehicle had smoked marijuana before the crash.

Data from the Ford Focus showed the vehicle was traveling approximately 81 miles per hour just four seconds prior to airbag deployment. South Chantilly Road has a posted speed limit of 35 mph. Zenk’s blood and urine tested positive for benzodiazepines and cannabis.

An Alford plea is sometimes referred to as a “best interests plea,” in which a defendant enters a guilty plea without pleading guilty in the eyes of the court but accepts the court’s sentence nonetheless.

Zenk, now 19, pleaded guilty to DWI – death of 2 or more, DWI – serious physical injury, and three counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter.

Zenk will be sentenced on June 10. She faces up to 7 years in prison on the DWI – serious injury charge; 5 to 15 years on the fatal DWI charge; and 3 to 10 years, plus $10,000 fines on each involuntary manslaughter charge.