ORLANDO, Fla. — The Department of Children and Families said a teenage girl, who was killed when her mother crashed her car in Orange County over the weekend, should not have been with her in the first place. Three other siblings were in the car at the time of the crash that happened on Overland Road near Beggs Road.
AT THE SCENE: Images Of Car Crash
WFTV confronted the driver's sister on Monday, who is the legal guardian of all four children. She told WFTV that Alabama's DCF made her the legal guardian of the kids and she brought them to Orlando to spend time with their mother.
Their aunt, who did not want to be identified, said her sister, Melissa Johnson, was allowed to have unsupervised contact with the children. DCF officials told WFTV they find that hard to believe.
"My sister is not an alcoholic. Everybody has fun on the weekend," she said.
The children's aunt vehemently defended Johnson. However, Florida Highway Patrol troopers said she was drunk when she crashed her car early Saturday evening, injuring three of her children and killing 14-year-old Daquasha, who wasn't wearing a seat belt.
The children's aunt said Johnson was trying to protect her children.
"It was Easter weekend. She had no intentions of driving. An emergency situation happened and she didn't think. She just reacted," she said.
On Friday, Johnson's boyfriend, Leon Chisholm, was arrested for attacking her. Her family told WFTV Johnson drove off with her kids to get away from him before he was released.
"Do you think she drove drunk because she knew you were coming home and she was afraid?" WFTV reporter Q. McCray asked Chisholm.
"Like I said, I don't know," Chisholm said.
Friday's incident was just the latest case of domestic violence between Chisholm and Johnson. WFTV checked with Orlando police and there was a violent encounter between the two in September of last year. The report says Chisholm and Johnson threatened to kill each other.
Johnson took her kids to Alabama and DCF awarded custody to their aunt, which leaves Florida's DCF seeking answers.
"A critical question we have unanswered right now is how she was reunited with her children," said Carrie Hoeppner, Orlando DCF.
WFTV called DCF in Alabama, but did not receive a response. Florida's DCF now has Johnson's three surviving children in its custody.
Johnson remains in the hospital. WFTV is still waiting to find out if she'll face any criminal charges for the crash.
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