Man killed in crash on Trent identified; ‘I want her to wake up every morning and remember my son,’ mother says of suspect

The man who died in a car crash on early Tuesday morning has been identified as Brandon “A-town” McDonald, 39, according to court documents.

The driver, Selina Juarez, 28, was arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide. She made her first court appearance Wednesday afternoon in a Spokane County Superior Courtroom filled with McDonald’s friends and family.

A tow truck driver was headed east on Trent Avenue at about 2:50 a.m. when the small car driving in front of him slid down into a small embankment, then back onto the road, according to court documents.

The tow truck driver checked on Juarez, who was covered in blood and asking for help, according to court documents. He called 911 before checking on McDonald, who had a faint pulse, court documents said.

The vehicle’s windshield was broken and the roof was caved in, police said in court documents. Officers arrived first on scene and attempted to reassure Juarez, who was stuck in the vehicle while they waited for the fire department to extract her, according to court documents.

When the first officer on scene checked on McDonald, he did not appear to be breathing. He was pronounced dead on scene a short time later.

Once Juarez was removed from the car, she received medical attention. Juarez briefly spoke with police, saying she had a spare tire on the front end of her vehicle and when she pressed the brakes, she lost control of the car, according to court documents.

Juarez was “adamant” she didn’t roll the car or hit anything, but police said in court documents that didn’t match with the damage to the vehicle.

The officer who rode with Juarez to the hospital said they smelled intoxicants, according to court documents.

A warrant was obtained to test Juarez’s blood, and she was arrested after being released from the hospital.

McDonald’s mother, Jackie Collins, said that Juarez and her son had an on-again, off-again fling for years. Collins said she had discouraged the relationship and said the couple was intoxicated and had been fighting before the crash.

Right before the crash, Collins’ son had video called his brother saying he was scared of Juarez’s driving and that she might kill him – then the phone call suddenly ended.

The next morning, Collins got a call from the medical examiner.

“I can’t wrap my head around this,” she said. “No mother should have to go through this.”

According to his mother, McDonald had nine children and a few grandchildren . Last year, he had a son die and had been struggling ever since, she said.

“There’s nothing worse than having a child leave you,” Collins said. “And now I know.”

Collins says McDonald was a local rapper and comedian, and she described his laugh as contagious.

After hearing more details about the crash, Collins said she wants Juarez to pay for the pain she caused.

“There’s no words,” Collins said. “I want her to wake up every morning and remember my son. I want her to wake up every morning till she dies in a cell. I want her to pay for killing my son.”

Currently, Juarez is in Spokane County Jail on a $100,000 bond.