Mom Accused Of Intentionally Crashing Van With Kids Inside And Blaming It On A 'Hex' Denied Bail

A Florida mother who allegedly unbuckled her children’s seatbelts moments before crashing her minivan into a palm tree — and then blamed the wreck on voodoo curses — has been denied bail.

Calicia Williams, 36, has been charged with four counts of attempted murder in the crash earlier this week, which police say was intentional. The collision, which the woman blamed on “spells and voodoo,” as well as a “hex” her husband placed on her, left the woman and her four kids hospitalized, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Oxygen.com. 

Authorities responded to the accident scene in Ocala, Florida in the early afternoon of Oct. 2.

Moments before jumping a curb and slamming into a palm tree, Williams supposedly told her four kids, ages 7 to 13, to “take off their seat belts [and] stretch out their hands,” the affidavit stated. She then allegedly told them, “‘The devil can’t hurt you, he only hurts bad people. You have the light of Jesus in you and only Jesus can cure us.’” 

Calicia Williams Photo: Marion County Sheriff's Office

Medical professionals noted that Williams had a “burn” on her neck, suggesting she may have been wearing a seat belt during the collision which left her vehicle with “extensive” front-end damage, according to an Ocala Police press release, but authorities were unable to specify how fast the van had been traveling or whether or not the mother was buckled up.

While at the scene of the accident, Williams “kept rambling on about spells and voodoo,” and said her husband had "put a hex on her," the affidavit claimed. Williams, who appeared to be “sweating profusely” and required a leg splint following the collision, also allegedly told police she was under the influence of marijuana. 

Photo: Ocala Fire Rescue

But after sweeping the scene, investigators said they quickly determined the crash appeared intentional. Detectives observed “there was no apparent braking before the collision,” according to Williams’ arrest affidavit.

“Due to tire and furrow marks in the median it appeared the Pontiac was steering directly toward the tree that it struck,” a police press release also added. 

Williams and three of her children have since been released from hospital. Her kids have been put into the care of a family member.

“The fourth and oldest child remains under medical care while recovering,” Corie Byrd, a media spokesperson for the Ocala Police Department, told Oxygen.com. “This child is also expected to be OK and released soon."

Court records indicate Williams is from Lake City, Florida, about 80 miles northwest from where the car accident occurred. Detectives, the police media spokesperson said, are still working on determining a motive.

“We don’t know that ‘why’ yet,” Byrd previously said. “Detectives are working hard to figure that out.” 

Williams is being held without bond while her case is pending. The 36-year-old mother’s arraignment has been scheduled for Nov. 12, according to Marion County State Attorney’s Office officials.

It’s unclear if Williams has retained legal counsel.