Mother charged in 4-year-old's death in crash

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A woman whose 4-year-old daughter died in a one-car crash this week in Northwest Austin was charged Thursday with intoxication manslaughter.

Shea Lynn Goss, 31, of Pflugerville, was also charged with two counts of intoxication assault because other children were injured in the wreck that occurred around 3 p.m. Tuesday.

According to arrest warrant affidavits, Goss was driving with three children aboard when she veered from the road Tuesday afternoon and crashed into a tree in the 12500 block of Riata Vista Circle near Parmer Lane.

All the children -- 5-year-old boy and twin four-year-old girls --  were taken to Dell Children's Hospital and the mother was transported to a hospital in Round Rock for treatment.

Police said one of the twins died at the hospital a few hours later; the rest of the children are expected to recover from their injuries.

Friday at the scene on Riata Vista Circle, a single bouquet of flowers marked the spot where Goss' Dodge Durango slammed into a cluster of oak trees. Bits of the vehicle's front grill remained in the bushes nearby.

According to the affidavit, police attempted to interview Goss at the hospital where she was taken for a broken ankle, but found her to be unresponsive and incoherent. Prescription medicine bottles containing muscle relaxants and pain medication were found in her car. She told police she was seeing a doctor for chronic pain in her head and back.

The bottles were labeled with stickers warning that they could cause drowsiness and that should not be taken before driving.

An independent pharmacist KXAN spoke with said Soma, the muscle relaxant officers found at the scene of the crash and Oxymorphone, the pain medication are commonly prescribed.

"The main warning label typically put on (the bottle) is 'May Cause Drowsiness.' Both those drugs can cause sedation," said Homer Alvarez of People's Pharmacy.

Bail was set at $500,000 on the intoxication manslaughter charge and $150,000 for each of the intoxication assault charges.

Earlier this month, KXAN reported on how the crime lab at the Texas Department of Public Safety is seeing more DWI blood alcohol samples where prescription drugs like Soma are also present.

In that report, which is linked here Austin Recovery nurse manager Debbie Hooks said it's common for people to self dose when the physician's prescribed dose for pain management is no longer working.