SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. – On a sunny, warm October afternoon in 2015, witnesses were horrified to see a black Cadillac Escalade smash into a ditch, hit a utility pole and land upside down, trapping the driver inside.
The 911 calls (listen below) reveal many called for help and dispatchers were quick to say no one should touch the driver to prevent further injury.
What those witnesses didn’t know was the driver was Kim Mathers, the ex-wife of Detroit rapper Eminem.
What they also didn’t know is what police reports and dashcam video would later reveal: The crash was allegedly no accident. According to police reports, Mathers told first responders it was intentional.
Now, her case is raising red flags, including why a drunken driving case was sealed in court.
Watch: Cellphone video shows Kim Mathers' wrecked Escalade
The Crash
The crash itself happened on Oct. 7, 2015 near the intersection of 23 Mile and Card roads in Macomb Township.
The SUV Mathers was driving landed upside down just after 12 p.m. in front of several homes.
Watch dashcam video: Police respond to Kim Mathers crash
One 911 caller told the dispatcher, "There was just a horrific crash,” and, “We need an ambulance."
"I heard a big boom. I looked outside and saw this big truck flipped upside down in the ditch,” said Rosanna Maniaci, who lives at the home directly in front of the crash.
Soon, police officers and first responders knew who was behind the wheel.
FOIA requests to the Macomb County Sheriff’s Department resulted in those 911 calls, police reports and dashcam video.
Several conversations were recorded. One first responder was heard talking to a deputy, saying, "You know who it is? Kim Mathers. She's hammered."
The conversation continues: "I asked her what happened. She said, 'I was drinking and driving.' She smells, she's hammered."
Once Mathers was removed from the SUV, a deputy asked, "How much did you have to drink today Kim?”
She responded: “Like a fifth."
“What were you drinking?” he asked.
Mathers responded: "Um ... Malibu."
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A suicide attempt?
Police reports obtained through the Freedom of Information Act would later show the crash was allegedly a suicide attempt.
One deputy noted Mathers told a fireman she “did this on purpose." First responders then began to treat the case as a suicide attempt.
According to the police report, she would later undergo an emergency psychiatric evaluation.
In another dashcam recording, you can hear a deputy inside the hospital citing Mathers for operating while intoxicated.
For most alleged drunk drivers, that is where the story would end. The difference here is how her case would later be handled in court.
Watch: Kim Mathers appears in court
Sealing a drunk driving case
A source began this investigation into how Mathers’ case was being handled in court. The original tip went to Charlie Kadado, a reporter for Shelby TV, which is Shelby Township’s cable station.
Many young journalists begin their careers there. For Kadado, this tip would force him to learn how to get documents when others don’t want you seeing them.
That source told Kadado Mathers’ entire case was going to be sealed, which raised those red flags.
Why? Is it because of who Kimberly Mathers is?
Or could it be they don't want her medical information or that psych evaluation made public?
Is that legal, or is she getting special treatment?
Gary Kennedy, a criminal defense attorney in Shelby Township, told Local 4 sealing an OWI case is extremely rare.
"In any instance, any case should be open to the public,” Kennedy said. “No matter your status, stature or the amount of money that you have or don't have."
Local 4 went to Mathers’ home hoping to get her side of the story. A woman, who wasn’t Mathers, answered the door, said she wasn’t talking to TV and closed it abruptly.
So, now all that’s known is an OWI case is sealed and is no longer available to the public -- which is a rarity. It has those who were around during the crash fuming.
“She could have hurt someone,” said Rosanna Maniaci. "She could have killed someone."
Her husband, Giovanni Maniaci, added: "You go to court, it says the law is equal for everybody. But it depends on how deep your pockets are."
Mathers’ case is slated to be back in court in early May.
Kim Mathers' relationship with Eminem
Kim and Marshall Mathers, a.k.a. Eminem, have been married twice. They have a daughter, Hailie, who was born in 1995.
They first married in 1999, then divorced in 2001. They briefly remarried in 2006 before divorcing again that same year.
According to reports, earlier this year Kim's twin sister Dawn Scott died. Kim's most recent tweet was Nov. 26:
Forever thankful to life. #happythanksgiving 🦃❤️
— Kim Mathers (@Kimberly__Scott) November 26, 2015
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