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An Alabama woman learned a heartbreaking truth in court on Tuesday: her 7-year-old son had died in a car crash she allegedly caused while speeding at 90 mph.
Delyshia Molette, 34, now faces multiple charges, including manslaughter, assault, resisting arrest, attempting to elude, and robbery, as reported by News 5.
During a bond hearing, Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood detailed the events leading to the tragic incident. Molette was driving with her two children, aged 7 and 11, when she lost control and collided with a light pole on Monday. The crash occurred at the intersection of Schillinger and Howells Ferry roads in Mobile.
Tragically, neither child was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.
Blackwood explained that Molette was attempting to flee from an investigation linked to alleged theft and an assault on a police officer the previous day.
“It was during that flight that she was speeding very excessively, lost control of the vehicle wrecked, which, unfortunately, resulted in the death of a young child.”
Molette appeared stunned when she learned one of her children had died, Al.com reports.
“Did you say he died? My 7-year-old died?”
The 11-year-old is in critical condition with a brain bleed, according to testimony.
Court documents indicated that the incident began after the defendant allegedly shoplifted Monday at a Publix store on Schillingers Road.
When a police officer stopped her, Mollette allegedly “gouged his eyes” and then ran away on foot, court documents stated.
“When the officer confronted the suspect, she took off running,” Semmes Police Chief Todd Friend told FOX10 News. “The officer caught up to her, and a struggle ensued. And she was able to get her hands, her fingers, inside of the officer’s eyes.”
Later on Monday, police spotted her driving an Infiniti SUV. They initially gave chase but stopped around a minute later, when they noticed children in the car.
“He slowed down, basically let her go,” Friend said. “We can only assume why she kept driving at a high rate of speed.”
Molette reportedly claimed that she fled because she did not want the Department of Human Resources to remove her children.
Friend added that Molette doesn’t have any active warrants or criminal record that he knows about.
“Something relatively simple like that, that could be resolved very easily, you know, turned into something that, you know, she’s in jail for four or five different felonies,” he said.
A judge denied bond Tuesday.
Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo: Semmes police]