A Hudson Valley mother is heading to jail following a car crash that killed her young son.

On Monday in Orange County Court, 27-year-old Nicole Smith of Bloomingburg was sentenced to five to 15 years in state prison following a guilty plea in August to aggravated vehicular homicide.

“I can think of no more tragic circumstance than a mother killing her own son,” Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler stated. “The sentence of five to fifteen years that this defendant received was just. This child’s death was as preventable as it was tragic. The occupants of the other vehicle narrowly avoided a collision that could have caused further deaths or serious physical injuries.

Smith admitted she was driving recklessly and under the influence of Methadone and Xanax with her 2-year-old son in the car, on March 19.

The child’s car seat was also not properly belted.

Smith attempted to pass another vehicle by crossing the double yellow line on Route 17K in Montgomery. As she was attempting to pass, her car hit the other vehicle which caused Smith’s car to go off the roadway, hit an embankment and crash into a tree.

Because Smith’s son was not properly secured in his car seat, the crashed caused him to be thrown from the car and killed, officials say.

The case was investigated by the Town of Montgomery Police Department with the assistance of the Accident Reconstruction Unit of the New York State Police.

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