Polk County Lady Pleads Guilty in a Drunk Driving Crash That Killed Her Son

POLK COUNTY, Missouri — A Flemington woman has been indicted in Polk County for a drunk driving accident that killed her nine-year-old son in 2022.

According to online court documents, Faith Leeann Ryan, 31, has been charged with ten felonies:

Two counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, culminating in a child’s death.

Two counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, resulting in physical damage.

Driving while drunk (DWI) caused the death of another

First-degree domestic assault.

Armed criminal action.

First-degree harassment.

Two counts of first-degree harming the welfare of a child, causing serious risk.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP), the collision occurred on E. 330th Rd., about three miles south of Humansville, in November 2022, when Ryan’s GMC Yukon drove off the road and flipped. Ryan’s nine-year-old boy was killed, but she, her five-year-old daughter, and her two-year-old son were rushed to the hospital with minor injuries.

When troopers arrived at the scene, the MSHP reported that two people had been ejected from the car, and both left side wheels and tires were missing.

According to the probable cause statement, a trooper on the scene spoke with Ryan and inquired whether she had consumed any alcoholic beverages. Ryan admitted that she had a mixed drink before driving.

Ryan agreed to a preliminary breath test, according to MSHP, which revealed a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.067%. When Ryan arrived at a Bolivar hospital, a blood sample was obtained, and his BAC was 0.102%.

When authorities asked Ryan how the crash occurred, she explained that she must have been driving too quickly, leading her to veer and the GMC to topple. When asked, MSHP stated that Ryan was unable to identify which seats her children had occupied.

According to records, troopers also discovered the driver’s seatbelt was unfastened, and the second row of seats was folded on top of each other and “would not have been capable of being sat in.” According to the records, Humansville Fire Department officials acknowledged to MSHP that the seats were in the correct placements when they arrived.

Court records show Ryan appeared in court on July 22 and pled not guilty to the charges. She is currently being held at the Polk County Jail on a $100,000 bond.