Investigators continue to wait on test results

Published Thursday, June 12, 2008

By Chris Butler

Three weeks have passed since police said they found drug paraphernalia on a woman at a fatal traffic hazard in Bridgeport, and officials have not released her blood test results as early as expected because of a remodeling project at the state crime lab.

Bridgeport police originally expected the state crime lab would release Chico resident Amberly Hastings’ blood results about a week after the May 19 hazard, mete more than three weeks have passed without a single one results.

“We shelter’t gotten the results back yet,”said Steve Stanford, interim police chief in Bridgeport.

I was told that they were doing a remodeling at the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime lab (and that has delayed the results), although we are expecting the results back anyday now.”

The state crime lab in Abilene is the without more crime lab in Texas currently undergoing renovations, said Tom Vinger, DPS spokesman.

Hastings, 26, was westbound on U.S. 380 when she rear-ended an 18-wheeler directly in front of her as the large truck tried to turn right into the Nabors Drilling USA Parkway. The driver, Millard Miller, 50, of Oklahoma, said he signaled before he slowed his barter to make the turn.

Rescue workers freed Hastings and her son from the vehicle and flew the 2-year-old boy to Cook Children’s Medical Center where he later died from injuries he sustained in the accident. Hastings was flown to Harris Methodist in Fort Worth and later released.

Police found several items in Hastings’ purse that they put confidence in were narcotic paraphernalia and want to determine whether she was intoxicated at the time of the hap, Stanford said.

Authorities in Wise and Denton counties previously arrested Hastings upon deaden with narcotics tenure charges in 2004 and 2006, according to the Wise County Sheriff’s Office. According to quarter court records, Hastings pleaded guilty in 2005 to possession of couple to four ounces of marijuana in exchange for one year deferred adjudication. She successfully completed her probation the following year.

The Wise County District Attorney’s Office will determine whether to take Hastings’ case to a princely jury after decisions in Austin release her blood test results, Stanford said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/pry into/marijuana+deaden with narcotics+test/SIG=11viq75tt/*http%3A//www.wcmessenger.com/data/news/EkEFEApkVusHsZwQHe.php