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Mother Drives Minivan Into Hudson, Kills Herself, 3 Children

Chief: Domestic Dispute Earlier May Have Led To Tragedy

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Newburgh tragedy

This was the scene on Tuesday night, April 12, 2011, in Newburgh, N.Y., where police and firefighters pulled a minivan containing the bodies of a mother and three small children out of the Hudson River. (Photo: CBS 2)

NEWBURGH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) — A woman who had just been involved in a domestic dispute loaded her four children into a minivan Tuesday night before letting one out and driving the rest of them into the Hudson River, firefighters said. The woman and three young children, ages 5, 2 and 11 months, were killed.

The 10-year-old boy who had been let out of the minivan ran to a nearby fire station and alerted firefighters, Chief Michael Vatter said. The boy told firefighters his mother had driven off a boat ramp in Newburgh, about 60 miles north of New York City, and into the murky water of the river, which runs between New York and New Jersey, Vatter said.

Firefighters and police officers responded with boats. Divers searched for the minivan for about an hour before finding it submerged in 10 feet of water about 25 yards offshore. They used a heavy-duty tow truck to pull it up the boat ramp and onto land.

Everyone inside was dead, Vatter said.

The woman lived about six blocks from where she and her children perished, he said.

The domestic altercation occurred about 10 minutes before the woman drove into the river, said Vatter, who didn’t have any more information on it.

Please stay with CBSNewYork.com throughout the day on Wednesday for more on this developing story.

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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  • Nola

    As a close friend of the family: Ms. Lashanda, had a very hard time letting go of her ex-boyfriend whom is the father of 2 or possibly 3 of her children. The young man have decided to go on his separate way and move on with his life without Ms. Lashanda. He is a good father to all of the children even the one that are not his biological children. He has never physically or emotionally abused Ms. Lashanda in anyway. Ms. Lashanda was very upset when she found out that her ex-boyfriend was seeing someone and this relationship was getting serious. Ms. Lashanda knew the only way she could hurt him, is to take the life of the children, because she knows how much he loves and cares for them. Even though they were not together, he was a very active father and was very present in the life of the children. Ms. Lashanda is a murderer, she is coward for taking her own life instead of facing the charges she could have face, please remember what she did is unforgettable and irrational. She plan the death of the kids for a long time, she posted stuffs on facebook, she is an evil person and she had made it cleared that no one will have her ex-boyfriend if she can’t have him…

  • Sad Dad

    I’m a male going through a nasty bitter Divorce, IIf anyone knows the least bit about Divorce and the System we have in place here in the United States Ithen you would know it is the Judicial system making parents fight for custody that cause all the problems, From what I have read here and what I have experienced My own soon to be Ex uses the children against me. he got caught on a police video screaming out of control “you will never see the kids again” I told a Judge asked her did you say that? She answered “yes I was angry” nothing happened to her. Now me I was in total shock and filled with fear at what she just said I was afraid for our children I just didn’t know what she meant by that comment, What was she going to do to the kids. Well it is stories like this that show me the Mom was the Batterer as in my case. Its the sad truth just look at how many people are trying too blame the Dad he wasn’t even around. Some woman are just pure evil I am sorry and they hurt the children with out a care. Parental alienation is real and most of the time done by a vindictive MOM. I will pray for all parties in this case. Its sad. I guess this llady meant it when she told others “I never want him to see the kids again”

  • False

    this story has false info. the 10 year old WAS NOT LET OUT he escaped through the drivers window and swam to sore then he waved down cars. one woman was kind enough to stop and she took him the fire station. if you want to read the TRUE story go to this link:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/14/lashanda-armstrong-distra_n_849141.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk1%7C56132

  • protectchildren

    What are you all talking about? You guys should be talking about 10 year old and way to help him. You all should be thinking about that horrific scene when all 3 kids were gasping for air. It is so sad and emotional. Poor kids. Think about 5 year child that was able to understand what her mom was doing and 2 year old kid that was probably holding on to her mom and little 11 month old baby. You guys are making this whole situation into some stupid event. Who cares if mom was mentally sick or not? She had no right to kill every one.

  • tellmemore

    The comments forum is quite frankly, scarier and more surreal than the bloody news.

  • Julius May

    So sad.

    • Joleen Nicole Price

      you all are missing the bigger picture here, she was a domestic violence victim, she did in fact reach out to get help to keep her abuser away from her and kids, the system failed her, this woman was bullied, tortured emotionally by her abuser and felt that since the police couldn’t protect her or her kids this was her option, until you walk in a domestic violence victim do not judge or call them crazy or unfit. there are numerous accounts saying she was a great mom

  • RON PAUL FOR PRESIDENT

    Look at the big picture here. Macroeconomics mandate sociopathological spikes during difficult financial times. During the 30′s depression, people leaped to their deaths out of windows, and yes, financial reasons are most likely the root of this particular, and similar present day tragedies.

    If you really want to blame anybody for this horrific condition, you might want to start with The Federal Reserve Bank, which is not Federal, and has no reserves.

    Bernanke and the globalist henchmen that surround him are the reason that there are no jobs, that the dollar is worthless, that, in general, we are being forced into a depression that the likes of, have never been seen here in America, and that the do not, repeat DONOT, want us to recover from. Do your research: http://www.freedomtofascism.com for starters.
    END THE FED

  • hathatforshore

    so maybe welfare needs to come to your hous to take your kids your unfit to be a parent

  • Bell Toller

    The 10 yr old should have tried to open the doors for his sibling but who knows if he couldve have

    • hathatforshore

      these type of things happen so fast probably didnt even have time but im wondering why the media doesnt get it right 1st they say he slide out through a window and swim to shore and then they turn around and said she let him out either way still so very sad but why dont they get it right if your gona report the story

  • Mia

    Parents are becoming more and more violent. Poor kid, only survivor hell need lost of therapy.

  • P.Clark Got God On My Side

    U can’t blame her i think u should seek some kind of help before its to late for u and yours nobody i mean nobody has the right to take a life god giveth and he is the one who shall taketh, tht woman could of seek some help she could of gotten out of her abusesive relationship jut like she walked away and put herself and them kids in tht van she could of left and gotsome help she let the10 year old out se could of let them all out she wanted to kill herself ths on her but why the kids they never asked to be here but whom and i to judge god has the last say and she will have to meet him and answer to him when judgemet day comes its so sad i have grandkids and if one of my kids were even thinking tht stupid god knows i would take the kids myself may god be wth those little precious kids and may god help th 10 year old they are in my prayers so sad what is te world coming to once again i hope u get help i’ll be prayingfor you.

  • Dul

    Me,surely you are a sadist.

  • JAK

    Oh NO!!!!!!!!!!!! We all need to preach Christ the more, so that things like this dosen’t contiune to happen. Jesus Christ is the only answer to suicide. Cast on HIM all your troubles, He will see you through.

    • Pray Dilligently

      Amen. Christ Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

  • Moral Truth

    This is very sad to read.

    Condolences to the family and thats the moral truth.

  • shocked doc

    well, someone who makes a pathological comment such as yours requires help the depths of which are only reached by Thorazine, Lithium, TCAs and hospitalization.

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