MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — A Pennsylvania mother faces homicide by vehicle charges stemming from a deadly bus crash where her baby was killed.

Arbetina Johnson-Lowery, 35, of Norristown, was driving under the influence when she crashed into a SEPTA bus and caused fatal injuries to her 14-month-old, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office said in a Facebook post.

Inside Johnson-Lowery’s vehicle, investigators were able to find after the crash two empty bottles of whiskey and partially smoked marijuana cigarettes, along with cocaine that was in a foil packet, the post states. A car seat for a child was also found but it did not have the proper restraints.

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Test results from Johnson-Lowery’s blood showed investigators that she had methamphetamine, cocaine, and alcohol in her system when she crashed.

A call for a vehicle-SEPTA bus crash at the area of Old Arch Road and East Johnson Highway went out around 2:43 p.m. When police arrived they saw a Mazda MPV minivan, driven by Johnson-Lowery, crashed into the back of a SEPTA bus that was stopped at a bus stop.

The crash investigation revealed that Johnson-Lowery was driving at a high rate of speed when she slightly hit the bumper of a vehicle in front of her and then crashed into the driver’s side of the SEPTA bus. Johnson-Lowery was driving between 47 and 50 mph in a posted 35-mph zone.

The baby was found by witnesses lying on the backseat floorboard suffering from serious injuries, and was rushed to a hospital. He died after being flown to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Johnson-Lowery had to be freed from the wreckage and was transported to a hospital with multiple injuries. The bus driver suffered a knee injury and also was taken to the hospital.

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It was discovered that Johnson-Lowery had not been properly licensed since 2018 and that Mazda’s registration was suspended in Jan. 2023.

Johnson-Lowery faces felony charges of homicide by vehicle while DUI, homicide by vehicle, and accidents involving death or injury while not licensed. She also faces five misdemeanor charges of recklessly endangering another person and DUI, along with summary charges of traffic violations.

Court documents show that Johnson-Lowery posted her unsecured bail which was set at $500,000 and is awaiting a preliminary hearing scheduled for Feb. 26.

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