MURRIETA, Calif.—A convicted drunken driver has been charged with second-degree murder for a Riverside County crash that killed her 9-year-old daughter.
Prosecutors say Karen Honeycutt was drunk and doing up to 100 mph when her Jeep Grand Cherokee smashed into a tree and a light pole in Temecula on Jan. 21. Her daughter, Chloe, wasn’t wearing a seat belt and was hurled from the car. Authorities say Honeycutt, her 17-year-old son and an 8-year-old son also were injured.
The 41-year-old Temecula resident was charged Monday with second-degree murder, gross vehicular manslaughter and drunken driving.
Prosecutors are seeking a sentencing enhancement because she has several previous convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol.
The Riverside Press-Enterprise says she’s being held in a hospital jail ward.
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Information from: The Press-Enterprise, http://www.pe.com