Katie Shae Queen
Santeetlah – A nearly 11-month investigation into a fatal SUV crash has resulted in the arrest of a local resident.
Authorities with the Graham County Sheriff’s Office took 27-year-old Katie Shae Queen into custody without incident Friday, after a grand jury returned a bill of indictment in relation to a Jan. 19 accident that killed 23-year-old Jose Alfredo Moreno Romero, known to friends and family as “Freddy.” She was charged with death by motor vehicle, a felony.
Queen posted a $25,000 bond and has been released. She will appear in court March 1.
On Jan. 19, Queen was the driver of a 2016 Toyota Highlander that failed to negotiate a curve on Thunderbird Mountain Road around 2:30 a.m., just outside the Town of Lake Santeetlah’s borders. Romero was riding as a front-seat passenger; also in the car was 20-year-old Robbinsville resident Israel Cervantez.
The Highlander went straight through a curve, down an embankment and speared into the lake. Queen and Cervantez managed to escape the submerged vehicle; Romero did not.
Queen and Cervantez walked to homes within the vicinity of the crash, eventually finding help.
Help began to arrive around 4:30 a.m., but the Highlander had was already fully submerged below the surface and was not visible.
When a certified diver from Graham County was unable to descend into the water for a search due to equipment failure, help from the Henderson County Rescue Squad’s dive team was requested. Eventually, the Highlander was pulled from an estimated 20 feet of water around 4:47 p.m., and was upside down.
Romero’s body was still inside the vehicle when it was recovered.
Queen was initially taken into custody and charged with driving while intoxicated, but was released. The charge was later dismissed.
Cervantez was treated at the scene for facial injuries; to date, he has not been charged in connection with the incident.
Staff writer Ruby Annas also contributed to this report.