10-Year-Old Child Dies After Drunk Colorado Mom Crashes Car; Accused Arrested

A 10-year-old boy was killed in Colorado after his allegedly drunk mother crashed the car they were traveling in on Saturday.

The Brighton police said Karena Cecil, 27, was under the influence when she drove the car east on I-76 near Bromley Lane around 7.20 p.m. (9.20 p.m. ET). She lost control of the vehicle, which went off the road and rolled into the median. The car ended up in the westbound lanes, The Denver Channel reported.

"The vehicle was occupied by four people. The driver, which was the mom, a male adult passenger, and then two children," Brighton Police Sgt. Monce Portillo told the news outlet Sunday.

Though the passengers of the vehicle were rushed to the hospital, Cecil's son Gavin succumbed to injuries. The other child, identified as Gavin's sibling, and the adult male are being treated for minor injuries.

Gavin was a third-grade student at Southeast Elementary School, and his death was condoled by 27J School District in a letter to parents and families.

The police said speed and alcohol caused the crash. Cecil is currently being held in the Adams County Detention Facility.

Cecil was charged with vehicular homicide, DUI, careless driving causing injury, two counts of child abuse, revoked driving status and no proof of insurance. Her online jail records mentioned her next court date as Tuesday morning.

"Not only does she have to deal with the fact that she lost a child, but, additionally, the consequences that the court may have to impose on her," Sgt. Portillo told The Denver Channel.

The police have also urged anyone with information to contact the Brighton Police Department at (303) 288-1535.

Meanwhile, CBS Denver reported Cecil has a long history of DUI and arrests. Her lengthy arrest record dated back to January 2015.

She has faced multiple charges, including DUI, habitual traffic offender driving after revocation and driving without insurance.

In 2017, she was also charged with vehicular eluding, second-degree kidnapping, and DUI "with excessive alcohol," by the Lochbuie Police Department. She had then pleaded guilty to DUI and vehicular eluding, but charges of child abuse and second-degree kidnapping were dropped. Cecil also pleaded guilty to a DUI in May 2019.

Last week, in a similar incident, a 6-year-old girl was found bleeding and wandering alone in Georgia after her drunk mother crashed their car. Officers were called to the Clayton County area around 10 p.m. Tuesday after residents heard a loud crash. They found the child bleeding and wailing.