Woman Pleads In Traffic Death And Injury Of Young Girls    

LIVINGSTON - A Belleville woman has pleaded guilty to driving under the influence causing death and driving under the influence causing great bodily harm in the traffic death of a child and severe injury to another.

Laura Schmittling, 28, pleaded guilty to the two counts with no agreement as to her sentence. The crimes each carry a sentence of between three and 14 years in prison. A sentencing hearing will be held at a later date.

Schmittling was southbound on Interstate 55 when the Chevrolet Malibu she was driving went off the road and hit a guardrail, then ended up on the left lane. A tractor-trailer truck swerved to avoid the Malibu but side-swiped a Ford Focus in an adjacent lane.

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Another big truck then hit the Malibu. Court documents said tests showed she had methamphetamine, amphetamine, and marijuana in her system.

A 4-year-old and a 6-year-old in the Focus were also injured. Schmittling was originally charged with three counts of aggravated driving causing death, three counts of aggravated driving causing great bodily harm, and one count of reckless homicide.

She pleaded guilty to a count of driving under the influence causing death and account of driving under the influence causing great bodily harm. In exchange, other charges were dropped. She would serve the sentences concurrently.

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