The mother of Blount County girl killed in an April traffic crash has been indicted in her daughter’s death.
A grand jury this week issued the criminally negligent homicide indictment against 35-year-old Karley Edwards, according to court records made public Friday.
Her daughter, 5-year-old Waydee Cotten, was killed April 22 in single-vehicle crash on Highway 79 near Peyton Lane in Blount County.
Waydee was a passenger in Edward’s GMC Yukon that left the road and struck a ditch before overturning into a creek. It happened at 6:10 a.m. that Monday.
Wadee was unrestrained at the time of the crash and was pronounced dead on the scene, said ALEA Senior Trooper Cody Farrar.
Edwards was not using a seat belt. She was taken to UAB Hospital but recovered.
Under Alabama State Law, “every person transporting a child in a motor-vehicle operated on the roadways, streets, or highways of this state shall provide for the protection of the child by properly using an aftermarket or integrated child passenger restraint system meeting applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards.”
Additionally, every person transporting a child is responsible for making sure that the child is properly restrained. That duty or responsibility can’t be placed upon the child, according to the law.
“The facts of this case were presented to a Blount County grand jury just like all traffic homicides in our county,’’ said Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey. “Eighteen men and women of the county returned the charge for which she was arrested.”
“I am saddened any time a small child loses his or her life – especially when it is preventable,’’ Casey said. “This is a reminder to not move your vehicle until all children are properly secured.”
“It is not OK to say, ‘My child does it herself,’ when they are young and when you routinely never check to see if it is secured,’’ she said.
Edwards was booked into the Blount County Jail Friday and released the same day. Bond was set at $25,000 according to court records.
Court records did not immediately list an attorney to provide comment on Edwards’ behalf.
Waydee was a kindergartner at Locust Fork Elementary. ,
“She embraced life with a passion that was inspiring, whether she was on the softball field, cheerleading with friends, or playing with her cat ‘Foggy’ and her dog ‘Rocky’, exploring her fascination with dinosaurs, or imagining herself as a mermaid on family beach trips,’’ according to her obituary.
“Her visits to Disney World were moments of pure happiness, as she reveled in the magic that seemed to mirror her own spirited personality,’’ the obituary read. “Waydee’s love for her family knew no bounds, and she was especially close to her big sister, Mylee, with whom she shared countless cherished moments.”
Edwards is set to be arraigned in February.
