Kentucky woman charged with murder after 8-year-old dies in crash

A woman is facing a murder charge for the death of an 8-year-old child after a grand jury indicted her over a fatal collision in Carter County, according to Kentucky State Police.

Crystal Hodge, 37, was indicted on charges of murder, first degree assault and first degree wanton endangerment by a Carter County grand jury on Nov. 18, according to court records. State police said Hodge was arrested in Beckley, W. Va., and booked into the Southern Regional Jail, where she is awaiting extradition back to Kentucky.

According to state police, on Jan. 24, 2021, Hodge was driving a vehicle at a high rate of speed on I-64 during inclement weather and under the influence of a controlled substance. Hodge lost control of the vehicle and struck an embankment, resulting in the ejection of the 8-year-old child who died in the crash.

An 11-year-old child also suffered serious injuries from the accident, according to state police.