Amber Peery seeks new trial in deadly Girl Scout crash
TOPEKA (KSNT) - A woman convicted of causing a crash that resulted in the deaths of three Topeka children is seeking a new trial.
In August, a jury found Amber Peery guilty of charges of involuntary manslaughter, reckless aggravated battery and traffic infractions. Following that verdict, Peery filed a motion requesting new trial on grounds that evidence had allegedly been destroyed and graphic autopsy photos should not have been shown to jurors. Prosecutors have objected to the motion.
In October of 2022, Peery was driving a vanload of Girl Scouts on the Kansas Turnpike near Auburn when she made an illegal U-turn through the gap of the highway barrier. The action resulted in a crash with a tractor-trailer that killed three children and seriously injured a fourth.
According to court documents, Peery's defense team argues that because of the gruesomeness of the victim photographs, they should not have been admissible in the original trial. Her team also claims the state destroyed two additional video recordings from the tractor-trailer which show the driver inside the cab at the time of the crash and the truck's dash camera in the minutes leading up to the crash.
The state refuted those claims. Prosecutors reiterated their previous argument the photos were relevant to the case and were not unduly prejudicial or repetitious, as the defense claimed. The state also denied that it failed to preserve evidence, saying the additional video in question never existed.
A judge will decide whether to grant Peery's motion for a new trial. 27 News will continue to follow this case and bring you updates as they become available.
For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.