Carmen Huertas Drunk Driving: On Suicide Watch, Mother Pleads Not Guilty To Manslaughter

NEW YORK — The lawyer for a woman accused of drunken driving when her car full of children crashed, killing an 11-year-old, says she remains distraught and on suicide watch more than two weeks after the New York City wreck.

Thirty-one-year-old Carmen Huertas pleaded not guilty Wednesday to manslaughter and other charges. Her bail was set at $250,000. She attended her arraignment via video link between the courtroom and a Queens hospital jail ward where she is being held.

Prosecutors say she got behind the wheel with seven young passengers after drinking for hours at a family party, ignoring warnings not to drive. Eleven-year-old Leandra Rosado died in the Oct. 11 crash. The other children were injured.

Comments

[thatgirlinnewyork]

04:07 PM on 10/29/2009

we need and deserve a national, zero-tolerance law on drunk driving. enough of this already. how many more people have to die?

[quindy]

10:56 AM on 10/29/2009

On what ground did she plead not guilty? As long as she does not take responsibility for her actions she is going to continue to do the same thing over and over again. Her friends did make crucial mistake to allow those kids in her car, but it was her who drove the car, not her friends. I don't even believe that she is suicidal, because that would imply that she feels guilty. She is just avoiding jail, that's all.

[bsc]

04:48 PM on 10/29/2009

she's being held in a jail ward.

[vrndavan]

05:20 PM on 10/28/2009

my mom is a neighbor of the Rosado family. this was a young life snuffed out because of a drunk's addiction to alcohol. every adult at that party should be held accountable for letting Huerta get behind the wheel. it's simple, take the keys away, and don't be afraid of offending the drunk! it's an epidemic of silence...drunk drivers are as criminal in their behavior as anyone wielding a pistol at innocent by-standers.

it was a great tragedy in the neighborhood. i cannot believe that people find driving while drunk excusable. alcoholism is not funny. It's sad, damaging and dangerous to the alcoholic and everyone around them.

I was called a "debbie downer" because I found this video sad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd_0DyNpYLY&feature=player_embedded

yeah...hysterical!