Kayla Gerdes, Drugged Up Teen, Mows Over Woman Mowing Lawn, Say NY Police

By: Caroline Black
Topics: Daily Blotter

Kayla Gerdes (WCBS)

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (CBS/AP) - On a sunny, spring Tuesday afternoon, 18-year-old Kayla Gerdes, allegedly high on painkillers, crashed a van into a house, killing a 69-year-old woman gardening in her front yard, say police.

As cops led her away from the horrific scene, the teen DUI suspect was hysterical, and attempted to defend her actions behind the wheel, reports CBS affiliate WCBS.

"I didn't [aim for the victim]. Listen, stop, listen it was an accident. It was an accident, please, leave me alone! It was a mistake, stop! I was on prescription drugs, it was a mistake, stop!" she ranted, the station reports.

The aftermath. (WCBS)

"The car, it went out of control, I was pressing the brake and it wouldn't go. It was a mistake, I'm sorry!," Gerdes wailed.

Gerdes pled not guilty Wednesday to vehicular manslaughter and other charges related to the crash and is being held on $200,000 bond.

Reportedly, the 18-year-old from Freeport, N.Y. was kicked out of her mother's home after stealing her jewelry to support a drug habit. She was due in court Tuesday morning to face a grand larceny charge.

Police claim the teen was in a hurry and her boyfriend was driving too slowly, so she took matters into her own hands. Gerdes leapt behind the wheel of her boyfriend's construction van without a license, and careened out of control, killing respected zoologist Rebecca Twine-Wright, ultimately slamming the vehicle onto the front porch and into the living room, reports WCBS.

Defense attorney John Lewis says his client is devastated over the woman's death. Lewis said Gerdes had been in drug rehab, but was kicked out when the insurance wouldn't pay for the full 28-day treatment, the staion reports.

11 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment See all 11 Comments


by jackeyJakson October 3, 2010 10:43 AM EDT: i know this girl when she was 13 what happen it is really ****** up but that day it was bot her talking she was on drugs she didn't know what the hell she was doing. And if you want to talk about right or wrong then how come her boyfriend that let her drive was not charged with nothing they put all this **** just on one girl thats 18 what about her boyfriend that let her drive? Nobody think about that hah? If anything all tree of them should be responsible for it; Reply to this comment


by KtoTam232 May 24, 2010 8:16 PM EDT: THIS GIRL WAS NOT A BED GIRL. I KNOW HER SENSE SHE WAS 14. This could happen to any one. she just 18, when i was 18, Iv didn't a lot to stupid ****, and I had to pay for, so will she. but this is all really ****** up. what happen to the old lady and to Kayla. Drugs **** up your live and mind it wasn't her at that time.Its was in accident.; Reply to this comment

by peanut1108 April 30, 2010 12:49 AM EDT

WOW IDK IN MY RIGHT MIND WHO WOULD MAKE EXCUSES FOR THIS JUNKIE! YOU LET THIS TRASH STAY AT YOUR HOUSE??? Thats insane meanwhile you know this girl is a drug addict. This girl said how she didn't feel so bad bc the poor woman she killed was old !!!!!!! ARE you serious..this girl deserves to be dead. She stated that her breaks on a STOLEN COMMERCIAL VEHICLE mind you weren't working. She ran into a house over a large lawn killed a woman on her own front lawn.My blessings go out to the family. I pray for this girl that she gets the help she needs and I pray she never has freedom again. She deserves to rot in jail and she has to live with that she killed an innocent life. THEY NEED TO START TAKING CONTROL OF THESE DRUGS ON THE STREET MAN, INNOCENT PEOPLE ARE DYING FROM DIRTBAGS LIKE KAYLA GERDES. IF SHE DIDNT KILL THIS WOMAN SHE PROBABLY WOULD OF KILLED HERSELF OR OD. IT WAS AN ACCIDENT SHE SAYS THAT MAKES ME WANT TO THROW UP. BEING SORRY WONT BRING AN INNOCENT WOMAN BACK. HONESTLY WHO CARES ABOUT HER HOME LIFE, SHES NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS IT TOUGH IN THE WORLD. NO ONE IS FEELING BAD FOR THIS GIRL SHE DID WHAT SHE DID AND HAS TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILTY IN HER ACTIONS. KAYLA GERDES DESERVES TO BE IN JAIL FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE FOR KILLING A INNOCENT LADY, SUCH A SHAME ONLY 18 YEARS OF AGE. SHE HAD HER WHOLE LIFE A HEAD OF HER AND NOW HAS NOTHING BUT ACCORDING TO YOU SHE HAS NOTHING TO BEGIN WITH. SO BEING IN JAIL 247 WILL GIVE HER SOME TYPE OF STRUCTER AND JAIL IS WHERE THIS JUNKIE BELONGS.

Reply to this comment


by KtoTam232 May 24, 2010 8:18 PM EDT: THIS GIRL WAS NOT A BED GIRL. I KNOW HER SENSE SHE WAS 14. This could happen to any one. she just 18, when i was 18, Iv didn't a lot to stupid ****, and I had to pay for, so will she. but this is all really ****** up. what happen to the old lady and to Kayla. Drugs ****** up your live and mind it wasn't her at that time.Its was in accident.


by Cooolboy92 April 22, 2010 3:10 PM EDT: i cannottt beleive this stupid ass lil girllll yo..i live in freeport man i know this girl shes such a bum..dont beleive a thing shes says shes not sorry tht dumb ***** just wanna get off easy she doesnt give a **** about what happen to that lady im telling u..freeport is full of these little drug addicts man..this neeeds to stop before it happens to someone else -__-; Reply to this comment

by special1234 April 22, 2010 1:48 PM EDT

First of all no one should ever be aborted no matter how much they may have screwed up in life. Second i know this girl well and she came from a very messed up life with a mother who didnt care for her and she never really knew her father, and im not trying to make excuses up for her because what she did is wrong but the poor girl had noone to direct her in life. She had a very bad addiction to drugs and their were nights this girl stayed at my house bc she had nowhere to go and no one cared for. She is only 18yrs old and she used to wonder the streets at 13 yrs old till all ours of the night she had no1 or nothing, again like i said im not trying to make excuses for what she did but their is way to many kids out their that dont have anyone to turn to for help and she was one of them. She deserves to go to jail and maybe this will turn her life around and shell finally be able to get the help she needs, and my sympathy goes out to the lose of their family member it is very tragic that this had to happen bc of her uncontrol addiction to drugs, but living in FREEPORT LONGISLAND THATS ALL THAT IS AROUND FOR TEENAGERS MAYBE IF YOU GUYS OPENED THINGS FOR THE YOUTH IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS YOU MIGHT HAVE A CHANCE OF GETTING RID OF DRUG ABBUSE JUST MY OPINION.

Reply to this comment


by Cooolboy92 April 22, 2010 3:14 PM EDT: who the hell r u to talk about freeoport? u dont even live here ******* where u from?? one of those lilll rich white towns where everything is "neat and nice" shut yo ass up


by pak31 April 22, 2010 10:13 AM EDT: Very sad. This girl, more than anything, needs serious help to get off drugs. She's ruined her life and now she's ended someone elses. She won't even take responsibility for her actions, as if it's okay or forgivable because she was on drugs. It seems her attitude was "It wasn't me it was the drugs". She doesn't or can't comprehend that SHE caused this.; Reply to this comment


by Wildwood1966 April 22, 2010 9:58 AM EDT: not sure what any of first three comments mean - how sad for this woman working in her yard - what is there to say - maybe "the driver " thinks of this as an accident but it sure was a preventable one!; Reply to this comment