Woman falls asleep at wheel while on meth, gets 6 years for vehicular manslaughter

Nov. 9, 2009 | By Mike Roe | KPCC

A Fullerton mother was sentenced to six years in state prison for vehicular manslaughter after her toddler and boyfriend were killed in a high-speed crash when she fell asleep behind the wheel. She was allegedly under the influence of methamphetamine.

Tomeka Charee Harris, 29, pleaded guilty on Oct. 23 to two felony counts of vehicular manslaughter by unlawful act with gross negligence while intoxicated.

Orange County Prosecutors alleged that at approximately 10 a.m. on Jan. 12, 2008, Harris was speeding westbound on State Route 91 in her Mitsubishi sport utility vehicle with her boyfriend, 27-year-old Alfred Flores, and her daughter, Zharia Keheian. Her daughter was one day from turning 2 years old.

Harris, under the influence of methamphetamine, allegedly fell asleep at the wheel and lost control of her car while exiting at the East Street off-ramp at a high rate of speed, driving into a fence and crashing into a steel utility pole. Harris' child and boyfriend both suffered head trauma from the impact and were killed.

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