A young woman claims that she fell asleep behind the wheel when she plowed into a group of teenagers picking up trash alongside a highway, killing six.

But 21-year-old Jessica Williams could receive 120 years behind bars if a jury finds her guilty of manslaughter. The former stripper with a genius-level IQ admits that she smoked marijuana hours before the crash, and witnesses say that Williams had also taken ecstasy the night before.

After one mistrial already, a new jury has been chosen to decide if the young woman will spend the rest of her life in prison.

The Crash

On March 19, 2000, Williams was driving her white Ford minivan on Interstate 15 near the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Williams lost control of her van, slammed onto the median and careened 200 feet — coming from behind to hit a group of teens picking up trash.

Williams' van after the accident

Among the 23 teenagers at the scene who — were all on probation for minor infractions and performing community service — six died.

The victims were Scott Garner and Anthony Smith, both 14; Rebeccah Glicken and Maleyna Stoltzfus, both 15; and Alberto Puig and Jennifer Booth, 16.

Investigators found marijuana and a pipe inside the van, and blood tests later showed traces of ecstasy and marijuana in Williams' blood.

Investigators at the scene

The police estimate Williams was driving 75 mph, the legal speed limit on that road, and there was no evidence that she hit the brake before the impact.

Prosecutors say Williams is a transient who used ecstasy to help her stay up all night, then compounded her inebriation by smoking marijuana roughly two hours before the crash. The drugs, they say, could have led her to pass out at the wheel.

At issue will be a new Nevada law that mandates anyone driving with two nanograms or more of marijuana per milliliter of blood is presumed to be under the influence of the drug. The law, which went into effect Oct. 1, 1999, is aimed at setting a standard for a driver's impairment much like those for blood alcohol level.

The accident scene

Prosecutors say that Williams' blood was tested at 5.5 nanograms per milliliter of blood — almost three times the legal limit.

But the defense contends that studies show that a person needs a level of 200 nanograms to be impaired by marijuana, a point defense attorney John Watkins plans on arguing to the jury. The defense also says that Williams was not impaired by drugs, but that she fell asleep because she had been up for 24 hours.

The Victims

The teenagers were participating in the Probation Service Work Program. Begun in 1989, the highway trash pickup program allows teens to work community service to offset fines.

None of the teens involved in the program were convicted of serious crimes, according to Clark County's Department of Family and Youth Services.

The victims: (top) Booth, Garner, Glicken; (bottom) Smith, Stoltzfus, Puig

The teens in the program wear orange safety vests, but they in high-traffic, high-speed roadways with few safety precautions. Following the accident, an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration enforcement section found five violations of state and federal regulations on training and protective equipment. OSHA found that safety measures such as warning signs, orange cones and special trailers designed to absorb rear-end impacts should have been used.

After an internal review, Clark County shut down the program in June 2000, an issue the defense will not be permitted to argue to the jury.

In August 2000, the families of the six victims filed a multimillion dollar civil suit against Williams and Clark County and Republic Services Inc., the company that funded the program, charging that they inadequately protected their children before the accident. But the safety of the program is one issue the defense will be barred from bringing up to the jury.

The Defendant

Something else the jury won't hear about is Williams' job as an all-nude dancer using the stage name Madison. Her father told reporters that his daughter has a 164 IQ and worked her way through a year and half of college before the accident.

Williams' mugshot

Willians lived in Littlefield, Ariz., and commuted 90 miles from home to work. She was planning to move to Las Vegas before the accident occurred.

Williams, who has no criminal record, was declared indigent and will have her defense paid for by the state.

She made headlines while sharing a cell with other high-profile alleged killers Sandy Murphy and Margaret Rudin. Rudin complained of "inappropriate conduct" between Williams and Murphy, former girlfriend of casino mogul Ted Binion convicted of murdering him along with another lover, Rick Tabish. The three were then moved into separate cells.

The Charges

Williams faces a total of 21 counts, including six counts each of driving while under the influence of a controlled substance, reckless driving and involuntary manslaughter. She is also charged with possession of a controlled substance and being under the influence of a controlled substance.

The jury deciding her fate is the second seated in the case. A 14-person panel had been sworn in on January 30, but a mistrial was declared after the judge discovered one juror told someone that she wanted to serve on the jury even though she knew she couldn't be fair to Williams. Another juror reported that a co-worker spoke to her about the case.

Jurors in the case will be allowed to ask questions of witnesses through notes given to the bailiff.

If convicted, Williams will likely die in prison.