Police: Erin Howard Kills Son in Drunk Driving Accident, Goes to Bar After His Funeral

Pennsylvania mother Erin Howard celebrated her 26th birthday on June 14 the way many people do -- getting drunk and partying. The difference with Erin Howard is that she decided to also drive drunk and stoned with her 6-year-old son Samuel Carpenter in the car, according to police. She crashed the car into a creek bank near Corry, Pennsylvania, killing Samuel instantly and injuring herself. According to Erie police, Erin Howard's blood alcohol level was .126 two hours after the crash and she had reportedly also been smoking marijuana. Pennsylvania's blood alcohol limit is .08.

Erin Howard was arrested on June 17 after spending three days in the hospital recuperating from minor injuries following the crash. The slight, tow-headed Howard left the hospital and was remanded into custody sporting a neck brace. Howard was charged with involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment, drunk driving, driving with a suspended license (her license had been pulled several months earlier), and a slew of other charges related to the crash.

Erin Howard has been incarcerated since then in the Erie County Penitentiary in lieu of the $75,000 cash bail assessed by the court. According to Howard, she had no choice but to stay in jail as her boyfriend had barred her from returning to their apartment and she did not have the funds to pay the bail money.

Howard was granted a 24-hour leave from 3 p.m. Friday to 3 p.m. Saturday to attend Samuel's funeral with her family in Hamilton, Ohio. She was to return to the prison after the funeral to await trial. Howard remained at the funeral home until 2:15 p.m. Saturday then, instead of returning to prison, Howard went to the Tailgater's bar about a mile from the church in Hamilton where the funeral service was held and began drinking heavily. Samuel's father apparently alerted Ohio police to Erin Howard's whereabouts and she was arrested at 11:30 p.m. and held in an Ohio jail pending a hearing. Pennsylvania and Ohio law enforcement officials are currently arranging Howard's extradition back to Erie. Howard has now been charged with escape in addition to her existing crash-related charges.

More information: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jVRWi5r8wfsxlOvM25RYYsrF96uAD91G7M700