Woman pleads not guilty to killing pedestrian

A Sept. 25 trial date has been set for a 24-year-old woman accused of killing a Wisconsin tourist while reportedly driving under the influence of drugs.

District Judge Mark Gibbons set Juanita Kim McDonald's trial date during her arraignment this morning. McDonald pleaded not guilty to four counts of driving under the influence of a prohibited or controlled substance, four counts of reckless driving, one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of being under the influence of a controlled substance.

According to police, McDonald drove onto the sidewalk in front of the Aladdin hotel-casino on April 19, striking a half-dozen pedestrians with her car.

One of the pedestrians, Mike Wienkes, 36, of Mineral Point, Wis., died May 7 after spending nearly three weeks in a coma.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Gary Booker said blood tests showed McDonald, who works as an exotic dancer, was under the influence of marijuana, Ecstasy and methamphetamine.

McDonald is being held in the Clark County Detention Center on $100,000 bail.

The accident took place exactly one month after another exotic dancer who was reportedly high on Ecstasy and marijuana killed six teenagers as they were picking up trash on an Interstate 15 median.

Jessica Williams, 21, is expected to be arraigned by Gibbons Monday on six counts of involuntary manslaughter, six counts of driving while under the influence of a prohibited or controlled substance, six counts of reckless driving and three other drug-related counts.

Williams is being held on $5 million bail.

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