The female driver involved in the Oct. 26 crash in Lititz is Debra Slaymaker-Walker, 63.
She has been hospitalized, not conscious or alert, since the crash; her condition is clearly serious.
Since being hospitalized, she was and is certainly not a public-safety threat or flight risk.
Obviously, her recollection of the crash and what led to it are essential to the investigation and we wanted to interview her regarding the case prior to anyone else.
We were provided with information regarding her condition that there would be a possibility for her to speak to investigators by Monday and thus, based on all of the above, chose not to release her name.
However, now updated with the latest information from medical professionals, we were informed that she remained unresponsive and could not be interviewed; moreover, we were informed that it is unknown if and when she will be able to be interviewed.
We believe it was crucial for our investigators to have first contact with her about the events, rather than a member of the media or general public.
Prior to this public release, we have been in contact with her relatives and families of others involved in the crash, and explained to them our reasoning for not publicly identifying the woman before now.
We are identifying her as the driver because it is now apparent that we have no timeline on if and when we can interview her, and we know her name has been provided to a number of individuals associated with the case.
We continue to ask anyone with information about the crash or the woman/her activities on or around Oct. 26 to contact police, if they have not already done so.
We continue to act in accordance with the best interests of the investigation.
It is important to note that she has not been charged with any crime and is presumed innocent.
PREVIOUS UPDATE:
Law-enforcement officials continue to investigate the Friday crash in Lititz that killed two students and injured three other individuals.
Police, in conjunction with the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office, have been working on the investigation since the crash happened. All agencies have been in contact with Warwick School District officials as well.
There are still additional interviews to conduct and information to gather before we reach a point of assessment on the crash circumstances, specifically its cause.
We understand the public wants specifics on the incident and we are providing maximum information without jeopardizing the integrity of the investigation.
Our office will continue to be the release point for information regarding the investigation.
Finally, we ask anyone with information about the crash to contact Lititz or Northern Lancaster County Regional police, or our office. Tips can be submitted via CRIMEWATCH and our respective social-media platforms.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright