Driver in Fatal Crash Smoked Crack, Used Heroin, Drove 70 mph

Shelia Bethea

The woman who crashed a van full of foster children into oncoming traffic in Queens on Monday confessed to police that she smoked crack cocaine around 1 or 2 a.m., did heroin around 9 a.m., and drank one alcoholic beverage around noon that same day. Sheila Bethea, 45, also admitted to speeding, and told police she did not know 5-year-olds needed to be in car seats. (None of her passengers were even wearing seat belts.) Perhaps even more devastating is the revelation that the children were supposed to taken to their foster care appointment in a cab.

The Rev. Owen E. Williams, a pastor at St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in Jamaica and a spokesman for the family, claims that Bethea had never been responsible for driving the children in the past. According to Williams, Bethea's mother Genevieve—in whose care the children were placed—had left $30 and the number of a cab company for the nanny to take the children to their appointment. Williams tells the Times, "That was the normal procedure. We're not sure who changed those instructions." The full-time nanny, Fatou Sonko, 42, was in the van and sustained severe head and eye injuries.

Bethea’s Mazda minivan crossed a double yellow line on a street in St. Albans and collided with an oncoming Toyota minivan just before 5 p.m. Monday. A witness believes she was driving at least 70 mph, and two of the children were seated on the floor because the middle row of seats had been removed. Catherine Willis, 15, and Melissa Elhmer-Mirra, 5, died in the crash.

Two other children have been released from the hospital, but there are conflicting reports about the condition of Bethea's own daughter, Tatiana Bethea, 6. According to the Daily News, she is in a medically induced coma with massive internal injuries, but the Times reports she was released yesterday. The driver of the other minivan is apparently in stable condition.

The horrific crash raises questions about the thoroughness of foster care background checks. Before a child is placed in a foster home, the prospective parent and all people living in the home are required to undergo background checks. But the agency, Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York, did not know Sheila Bethea lived with her mother, so they never discovered her lengthy criminal record: She has been arrested at least eight times on charges of drug possession, assault, robbery, and DWI.

At her arraignment yesterday, Bethea's lawyer said her client had AIDS, hepatitis and a mental condition that requires medication. She pleaded not guilty to manslaughter, assault and endangering the welfare of a child charges, and is being held on $500,000 bail. A judge instructed her to avoid all contact with the surviving children.

The biological mother of two of the surviving girls tells the Daily News that the Bethea family used the kids as "paychecks" and abused them. And the mother of the 5-year-old who died tells the Post, "In my opinion, my daughter was murdered and I want the people responsible to pay for it. This woman played God with her life."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on October 29, 2009 9:56 AM

Comments [rss]

ed_Extinct

Cage her for life.

Spirit of 76

Just put her in a cell and give her all the heroin she wants from the evidence locker. A quick OD would save everyone a lot of trouble.

poetofsorts

THis makes me sad and upset. I can't understand the foster care system at all. The reason why these kids are in foster care is because they had shitty parents and a shitty home to begin with. Why stick them in another shitty home? Do you job! Go to the homes for check ups and do background checks! These poor kids had no chance. The ones that died had tough life to begin with and a horrible death. Those who survived, I can only pray that all is well with their health and they end up in a proper home. Something needs to be done about the foster care system.

efg72

You're right, something should be done about the foster care system. Parents and caregivers shouldn't abuse/neglect their children. Eliminate that problem and there would be no need for foster care. If you want to help, consider becoming a foster parent.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/acs/html/become_parent/foster_care_process.shtml

dogisdead

I'm a foster care worker who also works out of Queens (not affiliated with above-mentioned Agency). While, ideally, all persons over 18 residing in a FH would willingly submit to a criminal background clearance, that is not the case.

Even with persistent home visits - unannounced especially - it is possible to visit a home and not be aware that a person is living there that the Agency does not formally recognize.

If aforementioned unrecognized person sleeps in the home and slips out early in the morning, a reply to our inquiry could be that there is a spare bedroom for guests. As well, even if a person sleeps on a couch, they can easily clean their mess and put their wardrobe in a closet to conceal their presence there.

Basically, upon becoming a Foster Parent, it is made clear to the FP that EVERYONE OVER 18 in their home must be fingerprinted and cleared, thus being known by the Agency. In addition to mandatory classes they must complete (MAPP Training), they are given rules/regulation booklets, and are re-certified by the Agency every year.

That being said, while it is quite easy to automatically blame the workers, in these cases it must be known whether the Foster Parent was made aware of the illegal nature in having someone reside in the home who (1) has a criminal record, (2) was not known to the Agency.

I am not taking all blame away from the workers; there are certainly cases in which the responsible individuals own up. But I just want to make it known how, even if a worker makes multiple visits a month, it is quite possible to have a person staying there illegally and have no traces of them when they are not physically in the house.

Steven

The speed limit there is 30? She was probably doing like 50-55.

Sheila Bethea, have you been convicted of a crime - check in no on the application. Unbelievable how they never did a background check.

jaycjay

"Unbelievable how they never did a background check."

As it says above, they didn't know she was living there. Unless they're required to stake out each prospective foster home for a while to see who comes and goes, not much chance of catching something like that.

handsomedevil

Not to take anything away from the horribleness of this incident, but the 70mph detail is just silly. People are not good eyeball judges of speed, and you'd have to work awful hard to get up to 70 on a city street in a POS minivan.

Clarice City

Sheila Bethea's mother knew exactly what was going on and hid that from social services so she could use kids as her personal ATMs. Furthermore the social worker on this case should be held responsible since they obviously never did a home visit or decent back ground check.

Of course she has an excuse. Not guilty my ass. If she was really that damaged and unable to make decisions then why the hell was she even granted a driver's liscence?

yourmother

It shows the desperation of the system for placements. It also terrifies me that if something should happen to my husband and me - my kids could end up placed with people like this woman's mother - even for one night.

It's also why, despite being a mandated reporter, I am always conflicted when faced with reporting a potentially abusive situation. What if I'm wrong and the kid is treated worse in the placement? Ugh.

Bottomless Chips

A lot of the news here has been depressing as fuck lately.

Self-control and common sense, lady. Shoot up as much of the sticky as you want, but don't drive kids that when you're that way.

ides_of_march

That's the problem with drugs and alcohol; any sense of right and wrong or good judgment goes out the window. Having said that, plenty of people are clueless and irresponsible when stone cold sober.