West Plains, MO. – A Springfield woman has received multiple charges following an April incident in Mtn. View. Trinity A.J. Merrill has been charged with felony 2nd-degree assault, felony leaving the scene of an accident – property damage exceeding $1,000, and misdemeanor leaving the scene of an accident for multiple incidents that were reported to happen in the early hours of April 1, 2023.
According to the probable cause statement, officers with the Mtn. View Police Department were investigating a wrecked white Mercedes SL55 on east US Highway 60 that had been abandoned. An officer on the scene recognized the vehicle from an earlier noise complaint concerning music and partying. Another officer recognized the vehicle as belonging to Merrill, who had been celebrating at said party. Merrill was found on foot on 5th Street and taken into custody.
While in custody, a breath test showed Merrill to have a BAC of .204%, more than twice the legal limit of .08%. During an interview, she told officers she had been drinking at the residence on 3rd Street before leaving in an attempt to return to Springfield.
Officers investigating revealed Merrill had struck a juvenile driver with her vehicle, pushing both vehicles off the roadway. The driver told authorities that the Mercedes had rear-ended him after he had left his job at McDonald’s around 1:10 am and he attempted to lose the vehicle, driving through the town and county roads. The juvenile told authorities that, following the crash on Highway 60, the female driver (Merrill) had fled from the scene on foot. The Missouri State Highway Patrol, investigating the Mercedes, found evidence at the scene of a second vehicle involved in the crash. Merrill was also found to have run over her sisters’ mailbox as she left the residence.
Trinity Merrill will go before Judge Robert Ray at the Howell County Courthouse on June 26, 2023, for an initial appearance.
Edit 6-1-2023: The legal limit for Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) was corrected to .08%.
