A 21-year-old Arlington woman has been arrested and charged with intoxication manslaughter after a March highway crash that killed her young daughter.
The U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force apprehended Courtney Getz on Tuesday without incident, according to the Arlington Police Department. She faces one count of intoxication manslaughter and one count of possession of a controlled substance.
The charges stem from a crash that occurred around 12:29 a.m. on March 25 in the westbound lanes of Interstate 20 near the U.S. 287 interchange. Police said Getz was driving a 2014 Nissan Sentra with two children in the backseat when she became distracted by something behind her, looked away from the road, and rear-ended a dump truck.
Getz and both children were transported to area hospitals with injuries. Her 6-year-old daughter, Aviah Getz, was later pronounced dead. The other child and Getz sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the dump truck was not injured.
Investigators noted that Aviah was in a car seat, but evidence suggested she may have unbuckled herself or was not properly restrained at the time of the impact.
During the investigation, officers found THC vape pens in Getz’s vehicle. After receiving information that she may have used the substance prior to driving, authorities obtained a search warrant for a blood sample. Toxicologists with the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the level of THC in her blood was consistent with use within four to six hours of the blood draw.
Experts advised investigators that Getz was likely impaired and should not have been operating a vehicle at the time of the collision, police said.
Getz was initially booked into the Arlington City Jail and has since been transferred to the Tarrant County Jail. A bond amount has not been set.
The case remains under investigation.
