TACOMA – Sela Anne Kalama, a 19-year old who drove a car carrying six of her friends into the Elwha River Sunday morning, was released from federal custody Wednesday to the delight of a packed courtroom of her supporters.
Federal Magistrate J. Kelly Arnold of the U.S. District Court in Tacoma decided Wednesday that Kalama should not remain in custody until an April 2 preliminary hearing to see if she should be tried on an involuntary manslaughter charge.
The April 2 hearing will be in federal court in Tacoma.
Kalama, a member of the Quinault tribe in Queets, was returning to her home on Wednesday.
Kalama is charged with the death of two teens who were in her car and died in the river Sunday.
Vanna K. Francis, 17, and Ronnie Scroggins, 15, died in the wreck.
Francis was a senior at Port Angeles High School and an enrolled member of the Lower Elwha tribe.
Scroggins was a freshman at Neah Bay High School and an enrolled member of the Makah tribe.
