A 10-year-old child is dead and an Alaska woman is facing serious charges after a utility terrain vehicle rolled over during a ride with several children inside.
The crash happened around 6:35 p.m. on Thursday, June 18, in the Jim Creek Recreation Area in Palmer, Alaska, according to Alaska State Troopers.
Troopers said they responded to reports that a side-by-side UTV had rolled over, injuring five people.
A preliminary investigation found that 32-year-old Hannah Lebel was driving the off-road vehicle with four juveniles inside when the UTV rolled onto its roof.
Three of the children suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to a Mat-Su area hospital for treatment. A 10-year-old child was pronounced dead at the scene.
The child’s body was taken to the State Medical Examiner’s Office, and their family has been notified.
As troopers investigated the crash, they allegedly noticed that Lebel was showing signs of impairment. Authorities later determined that she was intoxicated at the time of the deadly rollover.
Lebel was arrested on charges of criminally negligent homicide, manslaughter, assault, and driving under the influence.
According to Alaska’s News Source, two of the children in the UTV were Lebel’s, including the child who died. The other two children reportedly belonged to a family friend.
Lebel allegedly admitted that she had consumed “several” alcoholic drinks before the crash, including three beers, according to the outlet.
She reportedly told investigators that she had been driving in and out of the water repeatedly because the children enjoyed the water spraying onto the vehicle.
Lebel allegedly claimed that all four children had been wearing seat belts and said she did not know why the UTV rolled over. She suggested the vehicle may have hit a bump or rock under the water.
However, troopers later said they determined no one in the vehicle had been wearing a seat belt. According to investigators, all of the front seat belts were still buckled after the crash.
A witness also told Alaska’s News Source that they heard a child say they were going too fast while Lebel was driving.
After examining the vehicle’s tracks, troopers determined the UTV had been traveling at a high rate of speed.
Modern Mother