A Georgia woman suspected of being under the influence during a crash that killed a mother and her two children has been arrested in connection with her death, according to records reviewed by Us Weekly.
Sherita Goddard41, was driving in the opposite direction along US 82 in Lee County when it crashed by Bernedine Spann vehicle on the night of Jan. 14, according to the Georgia State Patrol, WALB reported.
Bernedine, 32, had been driving with her daughter Ja’Leah Spann13 years old, and his son, Jaxton Spann7, officials said, according to the TV station. Bernedine and Ja’Leah died that night, while Jaxton was transported to a hospital for treatment.
Jaxton he died in his father’s arms a few days later, on January 18, James Spann he wrote in a Jan. 19 Facebook post.
“My boy (has transitioned) to be with his mom and sister taking his last breath and heartbeat in my arms,” James said.
“Don’t drink and drive, it takes (other) lives,” James added.
A GoFundMe page created for the Spann family says “Jaxton suffered critical injuries and fought bravely while hospitalized.”
An allegedly reckless driver chasing his girlfriend in his car at high speed veered off the road Dec. 23 and struck a 43-year-old single mother of four as she stood outside her home in Houston, Texas, authorities confirmed in a statement. It was approximately at 4:30 p.m. when the police reported a 34-year-old man (…)
On Monday, January 26, authorities arrested Goddard in their deaths, WALB reported. Deputies with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office took her into custody.
Goddard faces a slew of criminal charges, including three counts of first-degree vehicular homicide, endangering a child by driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, second-degree cruelty to children, driving under the influence of alcohol, wrong side of the road, seat belt violation and open container, records show.
Information on whether Goddard has retained legal representation was not immediately available.
Goddard is being held at the jail on $79,550 bond, records show.
Goddard had been driving her daughter when she hit the Spann family, according to investigators, WALB reported. His daughter was also injured in the crash, but the extent of her injuries was not known.
Shonda Jameswho told WALB she was Bernedine’s best friend, said Goddard “must be held accountable to the full extent.”
“It’s the fact that he didn’t care, he made a conscious decision to get behind the wheel with kids in his car and drive on the wrong side of the damn road,” James said while speaking to the television station.
A funeral for Bernedine, Ja’Leah and Jaxton will be held in Dawson on Jan. 31, according to James Spann.
A California mother is facing felony child abuse charges after video showed her 19-month-old son falling out of her moving car as it turned into an intersection, police say. The video went viral on social media and led to an investigation, the Fullerton Police Department said in a news release Monday, Jan. 26. Image (…)
In a statement shared after Jaxton’s death and obtained by WRDW, the Randolph County School System, which was the boy’s school district, said: “Our hearts are broken as regret the loss of this precious child and his dear relatives.”
Jaxton was a second-grader, according to the school district, which described him as “a very special child who brought joy, light and warmth to our schools.”
“His smile, kindness and sweet spirit touched the lives of his classmates, teachers and staff,” the statement added.
In a Facebook post on Monday, January 26, James shared that Jaxton was named in January student of the month at Randolph County Elementary School.
He wrote that the honor was “bittersweet.”