Drink-driving suspect smiles for mugshot hours after crash that killed 60-year old mother

The daughter of the victim said that her smile shows that 'she has no remorse for what she did at all'

Angenette Welk's dark hair falls neatly onto her shoulders in the mug shot, her wide grin bearing teeth more vivid than the white stripes of her jail uniform.

At that moment and less than four miles away from the jail in Marion County, Florida, doctors rushed to save the life of Sandra Clarkson, a victim in what authorities have alleged was a drunken-driving collision on 10 May around noon.

Ms Clarkson, a 60-year old mother, suffered severe head trauma when her car was struck with enough force to sandwich the vehicle into a horse trailer in front of it.

She was declared brain dead on Mother's Day and died when she was taken off life support the next day, 14 May, according to a fundraising webpage apparently created by family.

Ms Welk, 44, was charged with a felony DUI with great bodily harm and two misdemeanor counts involving drunken driving in the afternoon collision, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office.

She paid $10,000 (£7,500) in bail and was released 11 May after entering not guilty pleas.

But since Ms Clarkson died afterward, the Florida Highway Patrol now intends to arrest Ms Welk on an upgraded manslaughter drunk driving charge, the assistant state attorney for Marion County told The Washington Post.

The Florida Highway Patrol did not immediately return a request for comment.

At the scene, Ms Welk told police she was distracted after dropping her cellphone before she smashed into the vehicle driven by Clarkson's 18-year old daughter, Shiyanne Kroll, who suffered minor injuries, Village News reported.

Her blood-alcohol limit was twice the legal limit. Ms Welk was uninjured in the crash. She could not be reached for comment.

Ms Kroll and her sister, Keonna Sciacca, told Click Orlando they were devastated over losing their mother and repulsed by Ms Welk's ear-to-ear smile.

“That disgusts me, and that means she has no remorse for what she did at all and I hope that judge sees that picture and says the same thing,” Kroll said.

Ms Sciacca wept over the loss.

“It's definitely wrecked our family forever, not just temporarily, this was a permanent thing that (Welk) did . . . I can't hug her, I can't tell her, 'Goodnight, I love you,'” she said through tears. “It's destroyed us.”

The Washington Post