What to Know
- A 49-year-old Connecticut woman fell asleep behind the wheel while driving on a Westchester County highway Wednesday, officials say
- She and her front seat passenger had seat belts on and weren't seriously hurt; three children in the back though were badly injured
- No charges have been filed, but State Police say their investigation is ongoing
Three children were badly hurt when a woman fell asleep behind the wheel at caused a violent crash in Westchester County on New Year's Day, State Police said in a statement Thursday.
Maribel Mota, a 49-year-old from Waterbury, Connecticut, was driving a Toyota Corolla northbound on I-684 in Bedford, New York, around 11 a.m. when she fell asleep, authorities say. Her car drifted into the left guardrail, then flew across all lanes into the right guardrail. The car spun around and flipped over before hitting the left guardrail for a second time.
Mota and her front-seat passenger, 29-year-old Maria Mota, had their seat belts on and suffered only minor injuries. Three children in the back seats were not wearing seat belts and were badly hurt, State Police said. Two of the children, an 8-year-old and a 16-year-old, were thrown from the car.
A 12-year-old remained inside the vehicle but was also seriously injured. At this point, State Police say all three kids are expected to live. The highway was shut down for hours in the area as authorities investigated.
No charges have been filed, but officials say their investigation is ongoing.
