New Revelation in Case of Mom Who Drove Family Off Cliff

Jennifer Hart was drunk, while her wife and 2 of their kids had sleep-inducing drug in systems
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 13, 2018 3:48 PM CDT
Cops: Mom Who Drove Family Off Cliff Was Drunk
This March 28, 2018, aerial photo shows the pullout where the SUV of Jennifer and Sarah Hart was recovered off Pacific Coast Highway 1.   (Alameda County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)

The woman who drove an SUV off a California cliff last month with her family inside was legally drunk at the time, say authorities in Mendocino County. Jennifer Hart had a blood-alcohol level of .102, over the state limit of .08, reports KOMO. Hart was killed along with her wife, Sarah Hart, and three of their adopted children. Toxicology tests also revealed that Sarah Hart and at least two of the kids in the vehicle had "a significant amount" of a drug ingredient commonly found in Benadryl, which can make people sleepy, per the AP.

The Harts had three other adopted children, and their whereabouts are unknown. However, authorities have since found a still-unidentified body that could be one of those three. Police still haven't pieced together all the circumstances of the deadly plunge, except to say they don't think it was accidental. On Friday, the sheriff's office confirmed that the SUV had been about 70 feet from the edge of the cliff before Jennifer Hart accelerated to between 20mph and 30mph. (More California stories.)

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