The Waterloo woman involved in a July 15 crash in Columbia that seriously injured a New Athens girl is facing charges in St. Clair County stemming from an incident that occurred earlier that same night in Belleville.

Meanwhile, the 17-year-old victim of the crash continues to recover from her injuries at a St. Louis hospital.

Columbia police said a gray 2001 Lexus RX 300 SUV driven by Katherine A. Brinkley, 26, of Waterloo, was traveling northbound on Route 3 shortly after 9 p.m. on July 15 when it collided with a white 2009 Pontiac G6 driven by Brett Luther, 18, of Columbia, which was crossing Veterans Parkway eastbound through the intersection with Route 3.

Luther was transported by Monroe County EMS ambulance to St. Anthony’s Medical Center in St. Louis County for treatment of a head injury. His passenger, Nicole Warnecke, 17, of New Athens, required extrication from the car by firefighters and was flown by ARCH Air Medical Services helicopter to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

Brinkley was not injured in the crash and was escorted from the scene to the police station for questioning.
Columbia police are awaiting toxicology reports and the completion of accident reconstruction as an investigation continues into a cause of the crash.

However, Brinkley was charged with three felony counts of aggravated battery involving a victim above 60 years of age plus charges of fleeing police, reckless driving, no drivers license and other traffic violations in St. Clair County following an incident Belleville police handled the same night of the crash.

Police said there was no chase involving Brinkley in Columbia that night, but witnesses did report a vehicle matching the same description as Brinkley’s traveling at a high rate of speed northbound on Route 3 shortly before the crash occurred.

Brinkley has a prior conviction in St. Clair County for possession of a methamphetamine precursor stemming from a 2011 arrest. In May, she was charged in St. Clair County with possession of a controlled substance.
Warnecke remains in a coma since the crash and suffered a brain injury in addition to a lacerated liver and broken pelvis.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds for her lengthy recovery: www.gofundme.com/5d3udwd53w.
Family members reported some hopeful improvement in Warnecke’s condition Tuesday via the Facebook group “Nikki’s Prayer Ninjas.”