Speed and alcohol contribute to fatality

A mix of high speed and alcohol may have lead to a Tuesday evening crash in Aiken County Tuesday that claimed the life of a 37-year-old Graniteville woman.

Tomiko Judge, 37, of Laurel Drive, was taken to Aiken Regional Medical Centers after the 7:15 p.m. crash.

She was pronounced dead at the hospital less than an hour later, said Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton.

Judge was driving a 1996 Chevrolet Suburban through the New Hope area, a residential neighborhood, when she likely failed to navigate what Carlton said is a "very shape curve" and crashed into a tree.

The impact from the collision heavily damaged the driver's side of the vehicle, and Judge was not restrained, officials reported.

"She was likely traveling at a high rate of speed when she left the roadway and crashed into the tree," Carlton said.

She suffered multiple body trauma.

Friends of Judge have said they tried to prevent the woman from driving home, but said they were unable to stop her from getting behind the wheel of the vehicle.

After learning of Judge's death, her family requested that they tell her 19-year-old daughter, who is attending Francis Marion University in Florence.

Carlton said the family drove to meet with teenager Tuesday evening.

Judge was in the midst of legal trouble when the crash claimed her life.

Late last month she was one of five people indicted by a federal grand jury and arrested on charges the group robbed seven banks in the Palmetto State, including one in Clearwater on Nov. 22.

The group is accused of using force or threats during the holdups.

Her death is the 28th traffic-related fatality in Aiken County this year.

Contact Karen Daily at kdaily@aikenstandard.com.