Body confirmed as girl from SUV that went over cliff
MENDOCINO, Calif. (AP) – Officials in Northern California have confirmed that a body pulled from the Pacific Ocean last week was another child from a family killed when their SUV plunged over a cliff in Mendocino County.
The coroner’s office said Tuesday that DNA analysis confirmed the body was that of 12-year-old Ciera Hart.
Investigators determined that parent Jennifer Hart was drunk and the crash was intentional.
Toxicology results showed Jennifer Hart’s wife and several children had large amounts of a drug in their systems that can cause drowsiness.
Toxicology results are still pending for Ciera Hart. She was the fourth of the six children to be recovered.
The crash happened just days after authorities in Washington state opened an investigation amid allegations the children were being neglected.