A woman police say drove her SUV into a group of five pedestrians in Massachusetts, killing a 5-year-old girl and critically injuring a 2-month-old girl, has been held on $10,000 bail.
Not-guilty pleas to charges including motor vehicle homicide were entered on behalf of 42-year-old Autumn Harris, of Boston, at her arraignment Monday.
Authorities say two adults and three children were on a grass median near the intersection of Route 145 and North Shore Road in Revere about 5 p.m. Sunday when they were struck.
>> On Boston25News.com: Child killed, four others injured after being hit by car
The 5-year-old girl, identified as Adrianna Mejia-Rivera, died at the scene.
"It's very sad, it’s very sad because it’s a kid," Carlos Valencia, a family friend of Mejia-Rivera, said.
A 2-month-old was taken to the hospital where she remains in the intensive care unit. A third child and two adults were hospitalized with less serious injuries, as well as a 30-year-old passenger in Harris' car.
Mejia-Rivera's uncle visited the site where she died, and said that close family was still at Massachusetts General Hospital with the baby in the ICU.
Outside of Chelsea District Court Monday, the mother of the woman behind the wheel of the SUV said she called her shortly after she was arrested.
"I feel so bad for those kids," said Harris' mother, Maureen Harris. “She said, ‘I don’t know. All of a sudden, it just happened.’”
Officials say Autumn Harris allegedly stated she had consumed one beer earlier in the afternoon, had taken prescription and over-the-counter medication to help her sleep the night before and that she had only slept for two hours before working all day Sunday. Autumn Harris allegedly said she had vaped CBD oil in the vehicle and may have nodded off at the wheel.
“She’s had a deteriorating spine and a lot of issues with it," Maureen Harris said.
Autumn Harris was unable to take a breath test, according to the DA. Investigators obtained a search warrant for a blood sample and her cell phone to help them figure out if she was impaired or distracted.
Maureen Harris said her daughter's heart is broken and she is "obviously in shame."
She is due back in court on Jan. 10.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for the funeral arrangements for Mejia-Rivera. The page can be found by clicking here.
– The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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