Mother Booked for Death of Daughter in Crash
Posted on Feb 3, 2011 1:20pm PST
San Bernardino County court records show that Karen Faye Honeycutt was cited for driving with a suspended license in April of 2009, and last week she was involved in a crash that killed her 9-year-old daughter, as reported by The Californian in Temecula.
In the 2009 citation, Honeycutt, 41, pleaded guilty to driving without benefit of a driver's license and sentenced to a year of probation.
Chloe, Honeycutt's young daughter, was thrown from her mother's grey 1996 Jeep Cherokee in a crash on Vail Ranch Parkway near Valentino Drive on January 26, 2011. She died of her injuries the same day.
Sergeant Mark Leggett of the Temecula police stated that the Jeep was going between 80 to 100 mph when Honeycutt lost control of it. The Jeep then hit the center median, a tree and a light pole.
Drug or alcohol use is considered to have been a leading factor in the crash.
According to Temecula police, Chloe's 8 year-old brother, Zachery, suffered minor injuries. An older stepbrother, Charles Williams, 17, identified as a sophomore at Chaparral High School, was also thrown from the jeep and has suffered major injuries.
Teachers and students at Chloe's and Zachery's elementary school, Pauba Valley, made comments on their loss.
Theresa Thompson, Chloe's 4th grade teacher, prepared a statement that read, "She was always thoughtful and hard-working in class. Her friends have great memories of her handball skills and have decided to name a hit after her.... Pauba has lost a wonderful girl."
The school's principal, Kristin Irvin, wrote in a letter, "Chloe was a part of our school family and will be dearly missed. Our entire school community joins me in extending our sincere condolences to Chloe's family and friends. We will continue to keep Zachery and Charles in our thoughts and prayers."
The general consensus from school officials about Chloe was that she was both a kind-hearted girl and that she had a beautiful smile.
Karen Honeycutt has been moved into the jail ward of the Riverside County Regional Medical Center, per Riverside County sheriff's Deputy Melissa Nieburger, where she remains hospitalized.
Leggett stated that Honeycutt has been booked on suspicion of second-degree murder and three counts of felony drunken driving causing injury.
Nieburger contended that though toxicology results have not been completed that they "believe she was impaired with alcohol, and maybe marijuana."
The Honeycutts live within a mile of the crash site in a home on Calle Hilario. Neighbors reported that the family, including Honeycutt's husband, moved in about one year ago.
According to San Diego Superior Court records Karen Honeycutt lived with her former husband, Aaron Honeycutt, in San Marcos for over five years before moving to Temecula. The two had three children, Chloe, and two boys aged 8 and 14.
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