LEESBURG, Va. - Prosecutors say they have filed a misdemeanor reckless driving charge against an owner of the candy company Mars Inc. for her role in a deadly car crash earlier this month.
A search warrant affidavit filed by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office states 74-year-old Jacqueline Bader Mars told a witness immediately after the Oct. 4 crash in Aldie, Va., that she fell asleep at the wheel.
The sheriff's office says Mars' Porsche SUV crossed the center line on a two-lane highway in Aldie and hit a minivan. The sheriff's office says 86-year-old minivan passenger, Irene Ellisor of Huntsville, Texas, died at the scene.
Mars, the company founder's daughter who has been ranked by Forbes Magazine as the world's seventh-richest woman, is set to appear in court Dec. 5.
In a statement, Mars family spokesman Kent Jarrell said, "As court proceedings begin, Jacquie's thoughts and prayers remain with those who have suffered injury and loss. She regrets this tragic accident."
The accident occurred in the early afternoon, according to court records.