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ssharpJACKSBORO, TN. (WLAF)- A mother is facing multiple counts of vehicular assault, violation of Haley’s Law and DUI after driving her car into a tree severely injuring her three children.
Margo White- Oden, 32, has been charged by the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) following the near fatal accident on April 5.
Oden was driving on Norris Freeway, in Campbell County, just before 5 pm when her vehicle left the road, striking “a large tree head on,” according to the THP report.
When THP Trooper Ryan Pope arrived at the crash site, he found Oden’s three children still trapped in the car as she stood near the road after having climbed out of the car.
A 15-year-old female was wedged in the front seat. She was eventually extricated by a fire and rescue crew. In the back passenger seat was a 13-year-old male “not wearing a seatbelt” with “life threatening injuries,” Ryan’s report said. The child had facial injuries that included lacerations. His left leg was “pinned and bent in an unnatural manner” as well. Also, in the back seat was a 10-year-old male. That child was face down when Ryan found him. At the time, he told the officer he “could not feel his legs,” the report said. That third child wasn’t wearing a seatbelt either.
As Ryan interviewed Oden, he learned she lacked a valid driver’s license.
During the interview Oden insisted she had been taking her children fishing when another car forced them from the road causing the accident. As she told her story, Oden had “a blue substance on her upper lip just below her right nostril,” the report said. She also allegedly told law enforcement she takes Klonopin, Adderall, Suboxene and a bi-polar medication.
Following a series of field sobriety tests, Ryan determined Oden was “impaired.”
Ryan’s next step was to ask Oden for a blood draw while at the crash scene. Even though Oden agreed to it, first responders were unable to draw blood at the scene. Oden allegedly blamed “her scar tissue from drug use” for the failed draw.
As her children were airlifted from the scene for medical care, Oden refused medical transport telling police her wife would instead take her to an emergency room. Initially, THP allowed the women to leave the scene but soon called Oden and had her pull over. She was then transported to UT Medical Center by another THP Trooper, the report said. Once there, medical personnel were able to “draw a small amount of blood.”
Further investigation into Oden revealed she had a public drug overdose on March 15 in Rocky Top.
The vehicular assault charges are class D felonies, which carry a sentencing range of two to 12 years per count. The Haley’s Law offenses are class B felonies with a sentencing range of eight to 30 years per count. A DUI can net a minimum of 48 hours up to 11 months and 29 days in jail. A DUI conviction can result in an additional 30 day sentence if there is a child under 16 in the car, according to state law.
The charging under Haley’s Law in connection with a traffic offense is uncommon. Originally enacted after a severe child abuse case in 2004, violation of the law for children under the age of eight is a class A felony, but when the victims are older than eight, the law can still be used though the penalties simply fall under the class B felony classification.
In this case, it is alleged that Oden caused serious bodily injury to her children when she crashed her car while impaired.
Oden remains in the Campbell County Jail on a 1.25-million dollar bond. Her next court date is May 4. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-04/21/2021- 6AM)