Guilty plea in gas ‘huffing’ wreck that killed elderly Olathe woman

An Olathe woman pleaded guilty Thursday to causing a 2015 traffic crash that killed a 77-year-old woman.

Angeline B. Shelor was reportedly “huffing” aerosol gas and driving erratically before the head-on collision that killed Lelia Roberts on Aug. 20, 2015, in the 1100 block of Dennis Avenue in Olathe.

Before the crash, numerous witnesses reported seeing Shelor speeding and weaving in and out of traffic, according to court documents.

One witness, an off-duty sheriff’s deputy, saw her driving while holding an aerosol can with a straw to her mouth, according to the documents.

Shelor’s car was heading eastbound on Dennis when she steered into oncoming traffic and collided with the vehicle driven by Roberts.

Roberts was pronounced dead at the scene. Shelor suffered critical injuries and was taken to a hospital.

A blood sample taken from Shelor after the wreck showed the presence of a gas commonly used as a refrigerant.

On Thursday, Shelor, 26, pleaded guilty in Johnson County District Court to reckless second-degree murder.

In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors dismissed charges of reckless driving and abusing toxic vapors.

Sentencing for Shelor is scheduled for Jan. 24.

This story was originally published December 8, 2016 at 10:09 AM with the headline "Guilty plea in gas ‘huffing’ wreck that killed elderly Olathe woman."