Prosecutors reinstate charges against 'STAYUMBL' driver in Durham school bus incident

One day after dismissing charges against a Durham woman who has gained notoriety online for erratic driving and the license plate "STAYUMBL," prosecutors reinstated the charges on Wednesday.

Posted 3:06 p.m. Aug 20, 2019 — Updated 9:04 p.m. Aug 21, 2019

Amanda Lamb

, WRAL reporter

DURHAM, N.C. — One day after dismissing charges against a Durham woman who has gained notoriety online for erratic driving and the license plate "STAYUMBL," prosecutors reinstated the charges on Wednesday.

A Durham Public Schools bus driver posted a video online that showed the "STAYUMBL" car pulling in front of her bus in April and stopping suddenly on a two-lane road to block the bus. A woman got out of the car with a cellphone to record the incident as she pointed at the back of her car.

Diana Taije Mems, 51, had been charged with reckless driving, improper passing and impeding traffic in the case. But after Mems demanded a trial and District Judge Brian Wilks refused to delay the case – it's been pushed back a few times already – prosecutors had to drop the charges because they didn't have witnesses ready to testify.

"I’m very shocked," bus driver Jacquanna Barrett-Laws said when reached at home about the dismissal. "She needs to be taken off the road."

An image from a dashboard camera video taken in October 2018 shows a car that Durham police say a woman has been driving erratically for months.

Prosecutors refiled the charges on Wednesday, saying they plan to take the case to trial on Sept. 17.

Mems has become infamous on social media, where dozens of posts point out the "STAYUMBL" plate and criticize her driving. Some people accuse her of trying to force other drivers to rear-end her vehicle by stopping abruptly in traffic.

WRAL News learned that Mems changed her license plate after being cited in the Durham case.

Defense attorney John Fitzpatrick said he believes Mems' cases have been given too much attention because of the social media outcry surrounding her driving.

"It's really unfortunate because it's really like punishment before process. Whenever that happens, our whole legal system fails, I think," Fitzpatrick said. "At this point, she is holding on. She's being encouraged."

Fitzpatrick said he expected that the charges would be refiled, but Mems is ready for her trial. He said he plans to show in court the video she took of the bus that day.

"I look forward to trying the case so the world can see what really happened that day," he said.

Durham police: 'STAYUMBL' driver believes everyone else trying to run her off road

Mems also faces charges of speeding and reckless driving in Wake County, as well as a charge of failure to appear in court on the driving charges in May.

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman sought an indictment against Mems after learning of her history of accidents and driving offenses, saying Mems poses a risk to the public. As a result, the case was moved from traffic court to Superior Court.

Mems rejected a plea deal from Wake County prosecutors in that case, and a trial is set for Sept. 23. Until then, she remains without a driver's license – a judge ordered her to surrender it as a condition of her bond in the case.

The Wake County District Attorney's Office and the state Department of Insurance are reviewing Mems' history to determine if any of the dozens of crashes she's been involved in since 2000 have been staged to collect an insurance payout.

Authorities have said that Mems has used 18 aliases and had a fake address on her driver's license. Freeman has asked the state Division of Motor Vehicles to merge the records of Mems' aliases to make sure authorities have her accurate driving record.

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