Country singer Kylie Rae Harris was drunk at the time she caused a three-vehicle crash in Taos County, New Mexico, according to the police, which resulted in her death and the death of 16-year-old driver Maria Cruz.
The accident occurred Sept. 4, 2019 on Highway 522. The initial investigation showed that Harris was driving in excess of 100 miles per hour. Alcohol impairment was suspected at the time, it’s now been confirmed by toxicology reports.
Harris’ blood alcohol concentration at the time of her death was 0.28, which is more than three times the legal legal for impaired driving. The other deceased motorist, Cruz, had no alcohol present at the time of her death, according to the UNM Office of Medical Investigators.
“The now competed investigation supports what we suspected at the time of our initial investigation and my earlier press release that stated alcohol consumption was suspected and speeding was a factor,” Sheriff Jerry Hogref said in a statement.
Harris was driving 102 m.p.h. at the time of the first collision. Her vehicle then crossed into the oncoming lane and struck Cruz’s vehicle at 95 m.p.h.
In March, Harris, considered a rising country singer, released a self-titled album. The Wylie, Texas, native is survived by her six-year-old daughter.