The doped-up driver in a deadly Queens wreck confessed to smoking crack, doing heroin and having a drink in the hours before she climbed behind the wheel of a minivan with her mom’s five foster kids — two of whom were killed — court papers show.
A criminal complaint yesterday said Sheila Bethea, 45, of St. Albans, told cops she thought she was driving fast “probably around 45 mph” — she was actually doing 70 — before smashing into an oncoming car on Dunkirk Street Monday.
Killed were Melissa Elh-Mira, 5, and Katherine Willis, 15. Tatiyana Bethea, also 5, is in a medically induced coma with head injuries and fractures.
“She stated she had the five kids in the car and that she did not know the 5-year-olds needed car seats,” according to the complaint.
The complaint charged Bethea confessed to smoking crack around 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. Monday, doing heroin around 9 a.m. and then having a drink about noon.
When she took the five foster kids of her 61-year-old mother Genevieve into the van later that day, none was in a child seat — in fact some were on the floor.
Bethea was ordered held on $500,000 bail on charges of manslaughter, assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
“This was a terrible tragedy and my client understands that,” said her lawyer, Rochelle Berliner.
Melissa’s biological mom doesn’t care.
“In my opinion, my daughter was murdered and I want the people responsible to pay for it,” said Jennifer Elh-Mira, 30. “This woman played God with her life.”
Additional reporting by Douglas Montero and Perry Chiaramonte