Woman indicted in death of 4-year-old

Published 10:41 am Thursday, February 7, 2019

By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

COLUMBIANA – A Shelby County grand jury has upheld reckless murder and other charges against a 43-year-old Oneonta woman in connection with a 2018 crash resulting in the death of a 4-year-old girl.

Silver

The grand jury upheld charges of reckless murder, driving under the influence of combined substances, second-degree possession of marijuana and failure to stop at a railroad crossing against Amy Reeves Silver, who lists an address on Blount County 29 in Oneonta.

Silver was arrested at her home by U.S. Marshals in late August 2018 and charged in connection with a July 30, 2018, crash on Fulton Springs Road, during which her vehicle was struck by a train at the crossing near the Martin Marietta quarry. The crash happened shortly before midnight.

Sharon Smith, 4, of Oneonta, was pronounced dead on the scene following the crash, and Silver was airlifted to UAB Hospital where she was treated and released.

The charges were brought against Silver following an investigation by the Shelby County Traffic Homicide Task Force.

According to court documents, Silver was allegedly driving under the combined influence of alcohol and a controlled substance at the time of the crash, and recorded a 0.06 blood-alcohol content and 4.3 nanograms per milliliter of THC in her bloodstream following the crash.

Silver has been out of the Shelby County Jail since posting bonds totaling $154,000 on Sept. 7, 2018.