Anyone who is a parent knows the job comes with its fair share of stresses. There is certainly nothing wrong with having a drink to unwind. However, to get behind the wheel after drinking – or worse, with children in the car with you can be a deadly combination.
According to a story appearing on the Fox 5 in San Diego website, a Vista mom risked not only her own life and those of her children when she allegedly got behind the wheel while intoxicated.
Court records show that on Tuesday, July 20, 2021, 27-year-old Kapri Raven Coleman entered a plea of not guilty to the several charges filed against her, including DUI murder regarding a fatal crash that ended the life of her 5-year-old daughter.
Investigators with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) say that at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 14, Coleman’s 2009 Hyundai Genesis veered off the freeway and down a steep embankment in a rollover crash. Two of Coleman’s daughters, aged 5 and 3, were ejected from the vehicle during the crash. The 5-year-old daughter died at the scene of the accident.
Coleman’s three-year-old daughter and her 1-year-old son were taken to Rady Children’s hospital for treatment. Both are listed in critical condition at the time of the report.
Testing done at the hospital indicated that Coleman had a blood alcohol level of 0.16 percent – which is twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent in California and every other state in the U.S. Authorities say that Coleman also had other drugs in her system at the time of the fatal crash.
Coleman entered a plea of not guilty. A judge ordered Coleman to remain in custody without bail.
A trial date has not yet been set.
