NAMPA, ID — A Canyon County crash that first left a pregnant teen fighting for her life has now claimed two lives and sharply escalated the criminal case tied to it. Nampa police say 19-year-old Kyara L. Engelhart of Caldwell died Thursday, Sept. 3, and her baby daughter, Maelynn M. Lindauer, died Monday, Sept. 7.
The two were hurt in a multi-vehicle wreck on Aug. 31 at Middleton Road and Lake Lowell Avenue. The woman accused of causing the collision, 29-year-old Abigail Nicole Wolverton of Nampa, now faces two counts of aggravated vehicular manslaughter. She was first charged with aggravated DUI and injury to a child.
Crash at Middleton Road and Lake Lowell Avenue sent emergency crews racing in at 9:46 a.m.
Nampa police said officers, firefighters and paramedics responded at about 9:46 a.m. on Aug. 31 to what they described as a serious-injury, multi-vehicle crash. The intersection of Middleton Road and Lake Lowell Avenue became the center of a case that has drawn intense attention because of the ages of the victims and the condition Engelhart was in at the time.
Police said Engelhart was eight months pregnant when she suffered life-threatening injuries in the wreck. On the day of the crash, doctors performed an emergency cesarean section and delivered her baby girl. Maelynn survived for six days before dying Monday, according to Nampa police. Engelhart died four days after the collision.
Charges changed after both victims died
Wolverton was arrested Sept. 3 and booked into the Canyon County Jail after the crash. At first, prosecutors charged her with two counts of aggravated DUI and with injury to a child involving a child who was in her vehicle.
With the deaths of Engelhart and her daughter, police said the two aggravated DUI counts have been amended to two counts of aggravated vehicular manslaughter. The injury to a child charge remains in place. Wolverton was later formally advised of the charges during a video court appearance Friday, Sept. 4.
Her bond was set at $2 million, and she remains in the Canyon County Jail.
If bond is posted, court will impose tight conditions
Court records show Wolverton would face strict pretrial rules if she manages to post bond. Those conditions include reporting to pretrial release, following a curfew, staying away from alcohol and drugs, submitting to testing, and not operating or possessing a motor vehicle.
Her preliminary hearing had been scheduled for Sept. 18 at 8:30 a.m. before Judge Matthew Thompson. Wolverton’s attorney told the court the defense plans to argue bond at that hearing. For now, the criminal case remains in the early stages, with the jail stay and court dates serving as the next major milestones.
Friends remembered Kyara Engelhart as lively, loyal and devoted to motherhood
Before her death was announced, Engelhart’s family identified her and shared photos while she remained hospitalized. Friends described her as loving, bubbly and the kind of person who could brighten a room. Their memories focused on a young woman whose personality left a deep impression long before the crash brought her back into public view.
Hailey Hennessy said she met Engelhart when they were 5 years old and stayed close for about 15 years. Lilah Verlander also knew her from childhood, while Courtnee Smith said the friendship deepened after Engelhart moved to Nevada during their freshman year of high school. Smith said Engelhart spent weekends at her home and felt more like family than a friend.
Family and friends said becoming a mom was one of her biggest dreams
Those closest to Engelhart said she had long wanted to be a mother, and that dream was fulfilled just days before her death. Smith said, “Her whole dream was to be a mom.” Friends also said she faced hardships over the years but kept a positive outlook and tried to turn difficult moments into something better.
Nampa police Sgt. Doug Harward said, “This case is a stark reminder of the result of impaired driving.” The investigation remains ongoing, and police have said they will continue to update the public as more information becomes available. For now, the crash has left a family grieving a daughter and a newborn, and a criminal case that now carries the weight of two deaths.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
