We learned this week that a young woman killed her own brother here in Mobile County, Alabama.She has been charged with manslaughter. According to police and press accounts, 27 year old Jamie McDole committed a theft at a Family Dollar in Irvington. Mobile County Sheriff deputies happened to be across the street at the time. They attempted to initiate a traffic stop when McDole sped off.

“When the officer hit the blue lights, they hit the gas pedal and they was Gone”

WPMI reporter Christian Jennings interviewed witness Carla Herrera who told her “whoever was driving eased out of the parking lot at first and whenever the officer turned his blue lights on, they hit the gas pedal and they were gone.” You can watch the interview here.

family dollar — Family Dollar where chase began (Photo from WPMI)

The driver was Jamie McDole. After fleeing the scene, she later crashed into a Dodge pickup truck at the intersection of Highway 90 and St. Elmo. The collision was so violent that it ripped McDole’s car in half. McDole’s boyfriend and her brother were in her car at the time.

McDole accident pic — McDole’s vehicle ripped in half

According to press reports and law enforcement, as her boyfriend was injured and her brother lay dying, McDole abandoned both to steal a truck at a nearby gas station. McDole later crashed this vehicle out into a tree on Jay Drive. An ambulance arrived on scene to treat her for her injuries. Meanwhile a short time later, her brother succumbed to his injuries.

Ms. McDole was later discharged from the hospital and booked into Mobile Metro Jail for manslaughter in her brother’s death, leaving the scene of an accident with injuries x 2, theft of property, 1st Degree, and eluding police.

Long History of Drug & Alcohol Abuse

A review of McDole’s criminal history evidences that of a person consumed by addiction. Her arrest history just in the City of Mobile Municipal Court includes:

MINOR IN POSSESSION OF ALCOHOL, THEFT OF PROPERTY 3RD DEGREE, PUBLIC INTOXICATION, DISORDERLY CONDUCT, MINOR IN POSSESSION OF ALCOHOL, THEFT OF PROPERTY 3RD DEGREE, PUBLIC INTOXICATION, DISORDERLY CONDUCT,

Killed in McDoles’s crash was her brother Jacob McDonald

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 2ND, UNAUTHORIZED USE OF VEHICLE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 3RD – ASSAULT, OPERATING A VEHICLE WITHOUT INSURANCE, SEATBELT VIOLATION, IMPROPER TAG, DUI LIQUOR/ DRUNK IN POSSESSION – 1ST OFFENSE, CANCELLED DRIVERS LICENSE, SPEEDING 72 MPH in a 55 MPH zone, NO DRIVERS LICENSE, FAILURE TO SHOW VEHICLE REGISTRATION

Her criminal history in state court includes:

DUI, ASSAULT, 2nd DEGREE, PUBLIC LEWDNESS, THEFT OF PROPERTY, 3rd DEGREE, RECKLESS DRIVING, ATTEMPTING TO ELUDE POLICE, FILING FALSE REPORT TO POLICE REPORT, DRIVING WITHOUT INSURANCE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, 3rd DEGREE-HARASSMENT

McDole’s History of Eluding Police, High Speed Chases, & Leaving Scenes of Accidents

Jamie McDole — MCSO Narrative: She stated she had been smokin’ weed

McDole’s alleged conduct this past Wednesday was not her first time she has led police on high speed chases endangering the public. Mobile County Deputy Sheriff’s narrative relates the following harrowing high speed chase of McDole on March 22, 2008.

03-22-2008 at 00:35 hours

On above date at 0010 HRS I observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed west bound on Half Mile Road between Bellingrath Rd and Padgett Switch Rd with out [sic] lights on. As I was traveling East Bound on Same Road. I then turned my vehicle around on the vehicle (A Gold Ford Taurus) and followed it as it turned North onto Padgett Switch Rd. I then initiated my emergency lights to attempt to stop the suspect vehicle. The suspect vehicle increased speed and continued on turning west onto Highway 90, then North on Louis Tillman Rd to Boe Rd, Running all red lights and stop signs. The vehicle then crossed over March Rd continuing on Boe Rd to Gulf Blvd, then across Hwy 90 South on to Irvington BLB Highway and Ran the Red Light on Gibson Rd and continued to a dirt rd off Gibson where it came to a stop after striking a tree. The driver of the vehicle Ms. Jamie McDole (Suspect 1) jumped out of the vehicle and ran into the wooded area. I then pursued Suspect 1 on foot and apprehended her about 100 ft. from the vehicle. Suspect 1 was then placed into custody and charged with Reckless

reckless endangerment_Page_07 — **MCSO Incident/Offense Report & Narrative of McDole’s 2010 Marijuana Induced High Speed Chase, Crash, and Leaving Scene of Accident**

Endangerment and DUI. Upon Inventory Search of the vehicle, a small Blount containing Marijuana was found on the Drivers [sic] seat. Suspect 1 stated (While in my back seat) that she had been smokin[sic] weed. Suspect 1 had a very slurred speech and her pupils were dilated was transported to Metro Jail and Mizells Towed the vehicle. Upon my arrival to Metro Jail they advised me that because Ms. McDoles [sic] unknown influence of drugs they could not book her until she was seen checked and released by a medical professional. Ms. McDole was then transported to USA Medical Center, upon completion of a medical evaluation. Ms. McDole was then transported to USA Medical Center, upon completion of a medical evaluation Ms. McDole was transported back to Metro Jail. Suspect 2 Amanda Hicks was not charged and was given a ride home by Res. Deputy Emmons.

SHOTS FIRED: McDole’s Oxycontin Induced 2010 Prichard & Mobile Police Chase

In May of 2010, McDole was in a police chase, this time involving two jurisdictions. Police officers even fired on her after she attempted to run them over. According to an AL.COM report:

PRICHARD, Alabama — A man and a woman were arrested Thursday morning after leading Prichard Police on a chase that ended in west Mobile, according to a news release.

Driver Jamie McDole, age 22, of Irvington and passenger James Harris, age 49, possibly of Butler were observed by Prichard Police backing into an automobile at Dunlap and Telegraph roads and pursued after leaving the scene, police said. The pursuit continued from Interstate 165 to Interstate 65 before the suspects exited on Airport Boulevard.

The chase finally stopped in the Books-A-Million parking lot at Pinebrook Shopping Center near McGregor Avenue, where the Mobile Police Department was contacted for assistance.

There, the report states that McDole attempted to run over police officers, who fired at the vehicle to get it to stop. There were no injuries as a result, it said.

The subjects were transported back to the Prichard Police Department, where it was discovered McDole had taken a number of Oxycontin tablets. EMS was called and she was transported to USA Medical Center for evaluation.

After being released, she will be charged with a number of charges, including possession of marijuana, attempting to elude police, resisting arrest and reckless endangerment. The other subject, Harris, was charged with 1st degree possession of marijuana and transported to Mobile County Metro Jail.

McDole Leaves Drug Treatment

Perhaps drug treatment may be the answer for McDole one may think? In 2015, McDole was arrested for assaulting a police officer and public lewdness. The officer responded to Carol Plantation Road to find McDole topless in the street.

lewdness complaint — McDole’s Public Lewdness Complaint

After taking McDole into custody for her public lewdness, the officer alleged she then assaulted him.

While in jail, she requested drug treatment and was granted it. She was transported from Metro Jail to the Haven of Hope for Women. The court file notes that she later left rehab.

2015 PROTECTION FROM ABUSE PETITION

In 2015, the father of McDole’s then two year old child filed a protection from abuse petition against McDole. In his petition he alleged that she claimed to be pregnant and sent for him. He wrote that McDole claimed illness upon his arrival and was abusive to him. The man she was with then hit him in the head with a beer bottle putting him in the ICU. The father alleged that McDole was mentally ill, abusive to herself and others in the past and get this—has run over him with her automobile and bitten him. On February 17, 2016 the judge dismissed the complaint after the father failed to appear in court.

CROP — 2015 PFA filed against McDole that was later dismissed after the Plaintiff failed to appear

WEDNESDAY’S CRASH

This all brings us back to last Wednesday and how we got there. I wonder as to the conversation between McDole and her boyfriend and her brother in the moments before she crashed her vehicle ripping it apart. Did she know her brother lay dying nearby? Did she know her boyfriend too was harmed? What prompted Jamie McDole to flee that day? Was it the outstanding warrants? Was it her fear of prison? Was she under the influence of drugs or alcohol? Whatever the motivation, she needlessly endangered countless other motorists in addition to the occupants of her vehicle. It appears this conduct that resulted in the death of her brother was in keeping with a long line of prior similar conduct. I would like to say this was a freak accident by an isolated reckless driver, but unfortunately our roads, streets, highways and interstates are filled with these drivers every day. Two days later on Friday WPMI reported another innocent motorist injured by a violent crash and motorist who fled the scene of the accident. As a former municipal court judge, I saw this far too often. As an attorney who now represents accident victims, I see it routinely.

McDole is set for a preliminary hearing before Judge Jill Phillips on June 28, 2017 on her current charges.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matt Green is a solo practitioner who represents personal injury and victims of criminal wrongdoing. He served as a municipal court traffic court judge in the City of Mobile and the City of Saraland for nearly a decade. Before that Matt prosecuted major felonies, traffic homicides, and violent crimes in the Baldwin County District Attorney’s Office. He teaches trial advocacy to Mobile Police Cadets and speaks to the Mobile County Court Referral Victim Impact Panel. Matt also defends the constitutional rights of his clients. He may be reached at 251.434.8500 or by e-mail at mattgreenlaw@comcast.net

The Alabama State Bar, Rules of Professional conduct, Rule 7.2 (e), requires the following language in all attorney communications: No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.

automobile accident

Mobile Woman Accused of Manslaughtering Own Brother involved in Two Prior High Speed Police Chases