Arlington woman arrested for intoxication manslaughter in March crash that killed her 6-year-old daughter
21-year-old Courtney Getz (Source: Arlington Police Department)
ARLINGTON, Texas - A 21-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with intoxication manslaughter following a March highway crash that killed her 6-year-old daughter, police said Wednesday.
Arrest made in fatal crash
What we know:
Courtney Getz was taken into custody without incident Tuesday in Arlington by members of the U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force, according to the Arlington Police Department. In addition to the felony manslaughter charge, Getz faces one count of possession of a controlled substance.
The charges stem from an overnight wreck on March 25 along the westbound lanes of Interstate 20, near the U.S. 287 interchange.
6-year-old girl killed in crash on I-20 in Arlington
A 6-year-old girl died in a crash involving a dump truck in Arlington early Wednesday morning.
Investigators said Getz was driving a 2014 Nissan Sentra with two children in the backseat when she became distracted by something happening behind her and took her eyes off the road. The Sentra slammed into the back of a dump truck at 12:29 a.m.
Getz and both children were rushed to area hospitals, where 6-year-old Aviah Getz was later pronounced dead. While the child was in a car seat, investigators believe she may have unbuckled herself or had been improperly restrained.
The second child and Getz suffered non-life-threatening injuries, while the driver of the dump truck was unhurt.
21-year-old Courtney Getz (Source: Tarrant County Jail)
Investigation into the crash
During a subsequent search of the car, officers recovered THC vape pens. Investigators later obtained a search warrant for Getz’s blood after receiving information that she may have used the substance prior to driving.
According to police, toxicologists with the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office analyzed the lab results and determined the level of THC found in her blood was consistent with usage within four to six hours of the draw. Experts advised investigators that Getz was likely impaired and should not have been operating a vehicle at the time of the collision.
Getz was initially booked into the Arlington City Jail and has since been transferred to the Tarrant County Jail. A bond has not been set.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Arlington Police Department.