The 28-year-old mother of three who flipped her vehicle on eastbound Interstate 10 in March, killing one of her children and injuring the other two, was sentenced to 15 years in state prison Thursday.
Kianna Elizabeth Adams, of Foley, Alabama, initially was facing three felony charges, including a second-degree manslaughter charge for the death of her 4-year-old daughter, Starr Adams, because she failed to properly restrain her three children in car seats in the 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe she was driving. All three children were ejected from the vehicle during the accident.
However, when it was discovered Adams had methamphetamine in her system at the time of the accident, the manslaughter charge was changed to intoxication manslaughter.
“This was an incredibly tragic and completely avoidable death of this little girl,” Kendall County Assistant District Attorney Nick Socias told The Star. “The defendant will have to live with the guilt of causing the death of her daughter. Although I am not sure any other penalty will weigh heavier than that, I believe that 15 years in prison is an appropriate resolution to this tragedy.”
Adams was in custody at the Kendall County Jail since shortly after the accident on the afternoon of March 28 until she pleaded guilty to the second-degree felony charge of intoxication manslaughter.
Information from the Boerne Police Department shortly after the accident stated Adams was driving back to Foley, Alabama, with her three children – including Starr, 14-month-old Isaac and 2½-year-old Skyler – from another state when her vehicle overturned on I-10 on the far north side of Boerne shortly after 2 p.m.
All three children were ejected from the vehicle during the crash, and none of them were properly secured in their car seats, according to information from BPD. According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Adams said she recalled buckling the children into their car seats, but she allegedly admitted the child safety seats were not anchored to the vehicle.
The arrest warrant affidavit alleges Adams admitted to receiving a ticket from a state trooper nine days prior to the accident for failing to secure her children in their safety seats.
According to the arrest warrant issued by Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Debby Hudson and served March 30, two witnesses, Jesus and Jessica Liscano, stated they saw the accident unfold.
Jesus Liscano said the two were traveling seven to eight car lengths behind Adams when Adams’ vehicle began to travel into the grassy median of the highway. He said the vehicle was being driven in the left lane of traffic when it began traveling into the center median that separates eastbound and westbound traffic on the interstate. Adams was traveling eastbound.
The vehicle ended up off the highway on the right side of the eastbound lanes.
“Jesus advised upon running to scene of the accident, he located a baby still in a child safety seat on the side of the road,” the arrest warrant affidavit states. “Jesus advised your affiant that he unbuckled the baby out of the child safety seat and walked into the grassy shoulder away from the accident. Jesus advised your affiant that he observed the driver/mother (Kianna) crawl out from under the Chevrolet Tahoe and call for her children.
“Jesus stated that the child he was with walked over to his mother (Kianna) and she began asking where her other child was. Jesus advised your affiant that Kianna located her other child (Skylar) in her child safety seat outside of the wrecked vehicle. Jesus advised me that Kianna and her children laid down next to the third child.”
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