Nearly seven months after a car occupied by three women — all neighbors — slammed into a convenience store on Route 8 in Middlesex Township, killing both passengers, police have charged the driver.

Diane E. Read, 37, of Middlesex Township, was more than twice the state's legal limit for alcohol May 17 when she drove into the former CoGo's, township police said.

Kimberly Young, 39, and Patricia Collins, 36, died of injuries in the crash, according to investigators.

Read is to turn herself in later this week on two felony counts each of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence and homicide by vehicle.

Under state law, each count of homicide by vehicle while DUI, a second-degree felony, carries a mandatory minimum of three years in state prison.

Additionally, Read is charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter and DUI, all misdemeanors. She also is charged with three traffic violations.

Police on Friday charged Read at the office of District Judge Sue Haggerty in Saxonburg.

The charges followed an exhaustive investigation that included a state police-led accident reconstruction, said Middlesex Township police Sgt. Randy Davison.

All three women lived on Dwellington Drive, just one-quarter mile from where the crash happened about 12:10 a.m. They had been at Read's home for a get-together where alcohol was consumed, police said, and they had just left the neighborhood in Read's family car, a 2008 Kia Optima.

A witness told investigators that he was traveling south on Route 8 and noticed a vehicle, which police believe to be the Kia, coming out of Dwellington Drive at a high rate of speed.

The car allegedly ran the stop sign at the intersection of Dwellington Drive and Route 8.

Police said the witness recounted that the vehicle “jumped half of (Route 8) and landed in the southbound fast lane.” The vehicle then crashed into the store.

The first township officer was there within a minute and found the car inside the building. Read was in the driver's seat. She was asking the officer to “help her friend and she said they were just going for ice,” according to charging documents.

The officer found Young in the front passenger seat and Collins in the back seat. Both women, who were mothers, were unresponsive.

Medical crews and volunteer firefighters arrived and tended to all three women. While being treated, police said, Read told medics that she had been drinking alcohol before driving. Police said they also smelled alcohol coming from inside the car.

Young was pronounced dead at the scene. Collins was taken to UPMC Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh, where she was pronounced dead later that day.

Read, the mother of two children, was taken to UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh with moderate injuries. She reportedly suffered a neck injury, broken leg bones and a punctured lung.

Police said autopsies determined Young died of blunt force trauma to the trunk, and Collins died of blunt force trauma to the head. Collins also suffered blunt force trauma to the trunk and extremities.

Three days later, police obtained a search warrant for Read's medical records. Toxicology reports, documents said, showed her blood-alcohol level was 0.166% around the time of the crash. In Pennsylvania, a level of 0.08% is considered intoxicated.

Police also obtained a search warrant to inspect the car for any mechanical problems or safety equipment failures, investigators said, but none were found to have contributed to or caused the wreck.

Davison on Sunday said police have not spoken to Read about the investigation due to her having retained an attorney. He declined to identify the attorney, and online records did not list an attorney for her.

He said the investigation was completed a couple of weeks ago, and that he subsequently forwarded his criminal complaint against Read to the district attorney's office for approval of the charges.

The DA's office, Davison said, approved the charges last week.

He said that in anticipation of charges, he made arrangements with Read's attorney earlier this summer to have his client turn herself in to authorities for arraignment at Haggerty's office. Davison said he hoped that would be later this week.

Young's family sold their home and moved following the crash.

The store has remained closed but it is being renovated. It is planned to reopen as a Coen Markets convenience store, according to officials for the Washington County-based business.

Coen Markets purchased CoGo's and its 38 stores in 2018. It was not immediately known when the Middlesex Township store would reopen.