By Tom Momberg
The Jackson Heights woman who drove into another car, killing a mother and her two daughters, in a Bayside crash in July has been charged with manslaughter, the Queens DA said.
Deborah Burns, 46, had allegedly driven recklessly at excessively high speeds in a 25 mile-per-hour school zone, DA Richard Brown said, based on the police investigation into the incident.
“This frightening crash happened right in front of a school and could have been even more horrific if students had been present at the time,” Brown said in a statement. “This is another example of how deadly motor vehicles can be and the consequences of climbing behind the wheel of a car and engaging in reckless behavior. The defendant is now facing a long prison sentence, if convicted.”
Burns was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court this week after the criminal complaint was filed with the DA.
She was arraigned on three counts of second-degree manslaughter and three counts of criminally negligent homicide, as well as two counts of felony assault and two counts of reckless driving, the DA said. Brown said if she is convicted, she could face up to 15 years in prison.
According to the police investigation from the July 1 incident and the resulting criminal charges, Burns allegedly was speeding while driving northbound on 210th Street behind MS 74, and crossed the double-yellow line on the road into oncoming traffic, before coming up on the Horace Harding Expressway service road.
The crash data from the on-board computer of Burns’ 2006 Ford Explorer indicated she was traveling faster than 60 miles per hour just seconds before striking a Toyota Camry carrying a family of five from Flushing, according to the criminal complaint.
The Camry spun out of control and struck a tree, the complaint said. The three passengers in the rear seat of the Camry died as a result of the accident.
Susanna Ha, 42, and her daughter Angelica Ha, 10, died at the hospital within hours of the crash, and her other daughter, Michelle Ung, 8, died days later in the hospital as a result of her injuries, according to the complaint.
Susanna Ha’s father, Young Ju Ha, 74, who was driving the Camry, and mother, Chung Ock Ha, 67, who was in the front passenger seat during the crash, survived but sustained severe injuries.
Burns told police she was looking for a parking spot after dropping her children off at a basketball game and was driving at about 40 miles per hour when another car crossed the double-yellow line on the road, causing her to swerve into the Camry, according to the complaint.
A toxicology report on Burns’ blood taken after the crash allegedly showed traces of cocaine in her system, according to the Queens DA.
Reach reporter Tom Momberg by e-mail at tmomb
