Florence woman accused in DUI crash that killed her son pleads guilty

A Florence woman accused of driving drunk and killing her son in a head-on crash on US Highway 93 appeared in a Missoula courtroom on Thursday afternoon.

THE WOMAN ACCUSED OFDRIVING DRUNK AND KILLINGHER SON IN A HEAD-ONCRASH EARLIER THIS YEARPLEADED GUILTY TODAY.34-YEAR-OLD MEGANBEARD WAS CHARGED WITHVEHICULAR HOMICIDE WHILEUNDER THE INFLUENCE,NEGLIGENT VEHICULARASSAULT, TWO COUNTS OFCHILD CRIMINALENDANGERMENT ANDCRIMINAL ENDANGERMENT.MTN'S KATIE MILLER HASMORE FROM TODAY'SHEARING.ON THURSDAY A 34 YEAROLD FLORENCE WOMAN,MEGAN BEARD, PLEADGUILTY TO CHARGESACCUSING HER OF KILLINGHER 10 YEAR OLD SONVO TRACKIN AN EMOTIONALHEARING, MEGAN BEARDPLEADED GUILTY TO THECHARGES, ADMITTING SHEDRANK ALCOHOL AND WASTOO DRUNK TO DRIVE THATDAY.THE MONTANA HIGHWAYPATROL REPORTS BEARDCROSSED INTO ONCOMINGTRAFFIC NEAR THE "CURVES ON HIGHWAY 93NEAR LOLO ON FEBRUARY15TH.HER SON BRECKEN DIEDWHILE HER TWO OTHERCHILDREN SUSTAINED MINORINJURIES.DURING THURSDAY'SHEARING, BEARD'S FAMILYWATCHED FROM THEBENCHES, INCLUDINGBRECKEN'S DAD WHO HELDHANDS WITH LOVED ONESAS HE WITNESSED HISFORMER WIFE'S PLEA.BEARD WAS CONSOLED BYHER LAWYER AS THECHARGES WERE READ WHILEJUDGE SHANE VANNATTATHANKED BEARD FOR"TAKING ACCOUNTABILITY."FOLLOWING THE PLEA,BEARD RETURNED TO THEMISSOULA COUNTYDETENTION CENTER.STANDUPSENTENCING WAS SET FORAUGUST 20TH.THIS WAS AN EMOTIONALDAY FOR MEGAN BEARD'SFAMILY AND FORMERHUSBAND AS THEYLISTENED TO HER 'GUILTY 'PLEAS TODAY .BRECKEN'S DAD, DANIELSPOKE TO US AFTER TODAY'SCOURT APPEARANCE WHEREI ASKED HIM IF ANYTHINGPOSITIVE HAS COME OFTHIS TRAGIC STORY."I THINK THAT IF PEOPLESEE WHAT'S HAPPENEDAND THAT IT CAN HAPPENTO THEM.

YOU SHOULDN'TTAKE RISKS WITH DRINKINGAND OPERATING A VEHICLE.THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH ATSTAKE.

HEARING ALL THOSEPLEAS AND THE PEOPLEWHO WERE HARMED, ONE IDIDN'T EVEN KNOWABOUT,THAT I COULDN'TREMEMBER.

THE THE SADTHINGS IS THAT THERE AREMANY MORE LIVES THATARE AFFECTED BY THIS,TOO."HE CONTINUES THE FIGHTAGAINST IMPAIRED DRIVINGAS A PROMISE TO HISSON'S MEMORY AND INOW PREPARING FOR THEAUGUST SENTENCINGHEARING.IT'S SOMETHING