Driver arrested after high-speed crash that killed Kansas woman

Ayinde Jriel James (Jackson County Sheriff's Office)

HOLTON, Kan. (KAKE) - Authorities in northeast Kansas say they have arrested a driver who allegedly caused a crash that killed a 74-year-old woman on Wednesday. 

Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse said 44-year-old Ayinde Jriel James was booked for involuntary manslaughter, driving under the influence, unlawful possession of a controlled substance and reckless driving. 

The crash happened at around 10:50 a.m. on U.S. 75 two miles north of Holton. The Kansas Highway Patrol reports a northbound Dodge Avenger driven by James was speeding and passing numerous other vehicles without sufficient clearance. His car then struck a southbound Mercury sedan. 

The 74-year-old woman driving the Mercury, Melinda Wareham, of Whiting, Kansas, died at the scene. James, of Fort Worth, Texas, had minor injuries.