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Mother arrested for injuring her 3-year old in DUI crash

A Santa Barbara woman faces multiple felony charges for a DUI crash that injured her 3-year old son. Police arrested Kate Hatrey Walters, 24, after she slammed the car she was driving into a street sign and light pole near State Street and Toyon Drive about 7 p.m. Monday.

Police said Walters and a friend started heavily drinking early in the day then went to dinner at Harry’s Plaza Cafe. Walters took her son to the restaurant where she allegedly continued to drink alcohol. Restaurant workers told police Walters and her friend became unruly and restaurant staff eventually told them to leave. Workers at Harry’s Cafe called a taxi to pick up the two women and the child. As they waited for the cab to arrive, police said Walters and her friend continued to cause a disturbance outside prompting restaurant staff to call police. However, before officers arrived on scene, Walters and her friend put the child in a car and they allegedly drove away. Witnesses reported that Walters car almost hit two parked cars in the Loreto Plaza parking lot.

Police said Walter drove about two blocks before hitting the street sign and light pole. Police arrived on scene to find the injured 3-year old boy being cradled in the arms of a citizen.

All three people in the car were taken to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Police said Walters refused to submit to a test to determine her blood alcohol content. Officers obtained a search warrant authorizing police to take a sample of Walters blood.

The child suffered numerous injuries including a broken neck. Walters was treated for minor injuries and her friend is being evaluated.

Walters is charged with felony DUI and felony child endangerment with bail set at $100,000

The following is the SBPD press release:

MEDIA RELEASE DUI Collision Results in Severe Injuries to 3-Year Old Child SANTA BARBARA, CA – May 21, 2013Kate Hatrey Walters, age 24, of Santa Barbara, was arrested for felony DUI andfelony child endangerment. While driving drunk Walters crashed into a lamppostseverely injuring her 3-year old son. Following her arrest for DUI Walters refusedto submit to a chemical test to determine her blood alcohol content. Pursuant tonew procedures enacted following the U. S. Supreme Court’s ruling in theMissouri v.McNeely case, a search warrant was obtained authorizing the collection of a bloodsample from Walters by force, if necessary.On May 20, 2013 at 7:01 p.m., Santa Barbara Police Department Officers Mark Hunt andBruno Peterson responded to a call of a disturbance in progress involvingintoxicated subjects in front of Harry’s Plaza Caf at 3313 State Street. While theofficers were en route they were advised by the SBPD Combined Communications Centerthat the disturbing parties had driven away from the scene and had become involvedin a traffic collision near the intersection of State Street and Broadmoor Plaza. When the officers arrived there they encountered Walters, heavily intoxicated anddistraught, seated to the rear of the car she had been driving; Walters’s 3-year oldson being cradled in the arms of a citizen, bleeding from abrasions to his neck; andfirefighters and paramedics struggling to extricate a heavily intoxicated,combative, 21-year old woman from the front passenger seat of the vehicle she ownedbut had been driven by Walters at the time of the collision.Investigation indicates the following. Walters started drinking heavily earlier inthe day. At approximately 5:00 p.m. she went with a friend, in her friend’s car, toHarry’s Plaza Caf, taking her son with her. At the restaurant Walters continued todrink with her friend and both became heavily intoxicated, unruly, and argumentativewith restaurant staff. Walters and her friend were told to leave the restaurant anda taxi cab was called by restaurant staff to pick up Walters, her son, and herfriend. While waiting for the taxi Walters and her friend continued to cause adisturbance prompting the restaurant staff to call the police. Prior to the arrivalof the responding officers Walters and her friend went to the friend’s parked car,placed Walters’s son in a child seat in the vehicle, and drove away with Walters atthe wheel. She nearly collided with two other parked cars in the Loreto Plazaparking lot, prompting another witness to call the police. A restaurant employeetook note of the description of the involved vehicle and its license plate number inorder to provide that information to the responding officers.After exiting the Loreto Plaza parking lot, where Harry’s Plaza Caf is located,Walters drove two blocks westbound on State Street until she reached theintersection with Toyon Drive. She struck the curb at the northwest corner of theintersection and drove up onto the sidewalk, striking the State Street / Toyon Drivestreet sign there and then collided with the lamppost of a city street light. Theforce of the collision caused the airbags in the vehicle to deploy. Inspection ofthe vehicle revealed that the child seat utilized by Walters’s son had not beenproperly installed. Walters was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision andher friend was not.Walters, her son, and her friend were all transported to by paramedics to SantaBarbara Cottage Hospital Emergency Room. Officer Hunt conducted a DUI investigationand arrested Walters for DUI; a felony because the crime resulted in injuries. Additionally, he arrested her child endangerment and notified Santa Barbara CountyChild Welfare Services. Following her arrest Walters refused to submit to achemical test to determine her blood alcohol content. Officer Hunt obtained asearch warrant authorizing the collection of a blood sample from Walters. The bloodsample was subsequently obtained by a nurse at the hospital.Walters was treated for minor injuries and medically cleared for Jail booking. Atthe time this investigation concluded Walters’s friend was still undergoing medicalevaluation. Walters’s 3-year old son sustained multiple injuries from the collisionincluding a broken neck. He was admitted to the hospital for treatment.Walters was booked at Santa Barbara County Jail on the aforementioned charges with abail amount of $100,000.00. Photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’sOffice.

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