SAN FRANCISCO — A woman was drunk when she drove her large family off a Northern California cliff last month, and her wife and several children had large amounts of a drug that can cause drowsiness in their systems, authorities said Friday.
Police previously said they believed the Hart family died in a suicide plunge from a scenic overlook. The crash happened just days after authorities in Washington state opened an investigation into allegations the children were being neglected.
Preliminary toxicology tests found Jennifer Hart had an alcohol level of 0.102, said California Patrol Capt. Bruce Carpenter. California drivers are considered drunk with a level of 0.08 or higher.
Toxicology tests also found that her wife, Sarah Hart, and two of their children had “a significant amount” of an ingredient commonly found in the allergy drug Benadryl, which can make people sleepy. Toxicology results for a third child killed are still pending, Carpenter said.
Carpenter said none of the car’s occupants were wearing seatbelts.
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