Kianna Elizabeth Adams, the mother driving the 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe that flipped on Interstate 10 last week that resulted in the death of her 4-year-old daughter, Starr Adams, and serious injury to two younger children, has been charged with three felony counts, including a second-degree manslaughter charge for the death of her daughter.
Information from the Boerne Police Department stated Adams was driving back to Foley, Alabama, with her three children – including Starr, 14-month-old Issac and 2½-year-old Skyler – from another state when her vehicle overturned on the interstate on the far north side of Boerne shortly after 2 p.m. March 28.
All three children were ejected from the vehicle during the accident, and none of the children 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.
Adams is being charged with the first-degree felony offense of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury, the second-degree felony offense of manslaughter and the third-degree felony offense of bodily injury to a child.
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 toward Alabama.
Then, Liscano said he saw Adams enter back on the highway and cut across the interstate, making her way onto the grassy shoulder on the opposite side of the highway. He said he saw the Tahoe flip once and immediately stopped his vehicle to help with the accident.
“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.”
Starr Adams was pronounced dead at the scene.
While Liscano only observed the vehicle flip once, Boerne Police officer James Vela found that the Tahoe appeared to have flipped multiple times before resting on its roof. During his investigation, Vela also alleged none of the seatbelt buckles in the back seat of the Tahoe were latched, indicating the child safety seats were not properly anchored.
While it’s still unclear what caused Adams’ vehicle to flip, she told an investigator she heard a “loud pop” before driving into the center median of the interstate and overcorrected, causing her to veer across the highway. She said she lost control of the vehicle and it flipped once she reached the shoulder of the right eastbound lane.
In the arrest warrant affidavit, Adams said she was traveling at about 80 miles per hour and saw the check engine light on when she heard the loud pop from her vehicle. She suspected she may have been having problems with her battery or alternator.
The warrant for Adams’ arrest was served two days after she was taken to University Hospital along with her two surviving children, and she was transported to the Bexar County Jail where she is being held on a $225,000 bail.
Adam’s has yet to be indicted on any of the charges, and she is being held under charges established by BPD. While BPD consulted with the Kendall County District Attorney’s office, the case has not yet been submitted to the DA, and, thus, has not been before a grand jury.
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