A Fort Wayne woman who has been charged with reckless homicide was driving 106 miles an hour just before the crash that killed her adult sister and a 6-year-old child, according to court documents obtained Thursday.
A warrant was filed Thursday for 23-year-old Jourdan Hudson, according to online court records. Hudson faces several charges: two counts of reckless homicide and three counts of neglect of a dependent, including one for causing death.
Hudson was driving the 2006 GMC Envoy when it crashed, ejecting four of five people in the vehicle. Hudson was traveling Nov. 23 with three children and her sister to attend a birthday party.
The vehicle rolled multiple times when it crashed about 8 p.m. near the 320 mile marker on Interstate 69.
When police responded, they found a woman and a girl who died after they were ejected from the vehicle. Jaiden Samaria Marquis Newbolt, 25, and Nalani Ella Ervins, 6, both died accidentally from multiple blunt force injuries because of the crash, the Allen County coroner°®¶¹app™s office said in a statement.
A 4-year-old who was not ejected was critically injured, and another 6-year-old had cuts on their head, Deputy Russell Collins of the Allen County Sheriff°®¶¹app™s Department wrote in a probable cause affidavit.
Hudson initially told investigators that Newbolt was driving when the crash happened. Hudson said she was sitting in the back seat with the children because one of them was upset, the affidavit said.
When Collins watched body camera footage later, he noticed Hudson told hospital staff that she was driving when the SUV crashed. When Collins contacted the hospital, Hudson had already been released.
Four days after the crash, Hudson was interviewed by investigators and said she was driving the vehicle when it crashed. The group was heading to a birthday party, and Hudson was °®¶¹appœtrailing°®¶¹app another vehicle before she got lost, she told police.
Hudson told police she and her sister were arguing when she saw the sign for Auburn, and she turned the vehicle around. That°®¶¹app™s when she lost control of the SUV, the affidavit said.
Witnesses told police the vehicle was speeding before the crash. That was confirmed when the airbag control module showed that the vehicle was traveling at 104 mph and the brake wasn°®¶¹app™t being used four seconds before the crash, and the SUV was going 106 mph two seconds before, the affidavit said.
When questioned by police, Hudson said she was driving that fast because she was passing another driver, and she didn°®¶¹app™t know the speed limit, which is 70 mph.
The airbag control module showed that Newbolt wasn°®¶¹app™t wearing a seat belt. The children were not in child safety seats or using seat belts, the affidavit said.
Collins said Hudson was responsible for the passengers°®¶¹app™ safety while driving them to the birthday party, and she placed the children°®¶¹app™s health and welfare in danger by driving at more than 100 mph.
If convicted on all counts, Hudson would face a sentence up to 70 1/2 years in prison.
Hudson had not been arrested as of 8 p.m., according to online jail records.
