Photo by James Calder.

Chamica Adams, who drove her Dodge Caliber through a crowded median at the intersection of 18th and U Streets and Florida Avenue NW in September, was sentenced to three years and four months in jail today. The crash killed 26-year-old Julia Bachleitner, an exchange student studying at Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies. The accident also severely injured another student at the school, Melissa Basque, also 26.

An attorney for Adams claimed that she had gotten drunk for the first time before getting behind the wheel that evening, had pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter. After the crash, Adams’ blood-alcohol level was about twice the legal limit.

Adams, a resident of Mitchellville, Maryland, was indicted in December and originally charged with involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, driving while intoxicated and driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. She was to be sentenced on Friday, however, Judge William Jackson recused himself from the case because of personal connections to the case — his daughter was studying in the same program at SAIS.
Adams was facing up to seven years in jail.

That evening, Adams also crashed her vehicle into Keren Restaurant at 1780 Florida Avenue NW. The restaurant has since reopened for business.