Kylie Rae Harris death: Country singer was ‘drunk and speeding’ at time of fatal crash
Singer and a 16-year-old girl were killed by the three-car collision in September
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Country singer Kylie Rae Harris was drunk and speeding when the fatal crash that killed her and one other person occurred, a police investigation has found.
Harris, 30, and 16-year-old Maria Elena Cruz died in a three-car collision in New Mexico in September this year. A third driver escaped with no injuries.
At the time, a spokesperson for the Taos County sheriff’s office said they believed alcohol had been a factor in the crash.
A new statement from the sheriff’s office has now said that Harris was travelling at a speed of 102 miles per hour at the time of the first collision, before crossing into the oncoming lane and hitting another vehicle at 95 miles per hour.
Harris’s blood alcohol level was .28 – three times the legal limit.
“The now-completed investigation supports what we suspected at the time of our initial investigation and my earlier press release, which stated alcohol consumption was suspected and speeding was a factor,” the spokesperson said.
In response to the findings, Harris’s family released a statement to People expressing their regret at the tragedy.
“The family of Kylie Rae Harris received the toxicology report and deeply regret that alcohol contributed to the tragic deaths of Maria Elena Cruz and Kylie,” it said. “No family should have to endure the tragic heartbreak of losing a child.”
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