Background: The Bell County Jail in Belton, Texas (Google Maps). Inset: Kaia Walls (Bell County Jail).
A mother in Missouri was apparently trying to pass a larger truck ahead of her when she crashed her SUV, causing the vehicle to flip over multiple times and killing three of her children, authorities say.
Kaia Walls, 33, has been charged with three counts of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, 13 counts of armed criminal action, three counts of DWI causing the death of a person, two counts of DWI causing serious physical injury and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child. She was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) after fleeing to Texas once she was treated for her injuries, the agency announced.
On Sept. 25 at about 9 p.m., Walls was driving an SUV with several other people inside. They were on U.S. 61 near Matthews, Missouri, a small city about 150 miles south of St. Louis.
According to regional CBS and The CW affiliate KFVS, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said Walls was trying to pass a pickup truck when she struck the back of the vehicle. Her SUV subsequently went off the road and overturned multiple times.
Three of Walls' children — a 9-year-old girl, a 10-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy — reportedly died in the crash. Authorities did not release their identities. A 15-year-old boy and a 62-year-old woman who were also inside the SUV were injured, as was Walls herself.
The pickup truck driver was apparently not hurt. Authorities said the 62-year-old woman was the only person in either of the vehicles wearing a seat belt.
Investigators allegedly determined that Walls was intoxicated at the time of the crash. She was treated for her injuries, but she later fled the state, according to authorities.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said investigators discovered Walls was with her father in Killeen, Texas, about 700 miles away from the crash site. They contacted USMS, which arrested her on Oct. 22.
She was booked into the Bell County Jail in Belton, Texas, and is set to be extradited to Missouri to face the charges against her.
"I want to commend the Missouri State Highway Patrol on their investigation and allowing the Marshals to assist in this arrest," said U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Missouri Steven Lewis. "Fugitives who actively evade capture or try to avoid responsibility for their crimes should know there is no place to hide. We will find you and bring you to justice."
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