Mom Behind Bars In Daughter's Death In Chesco DUI Crash

CHESTER COUNTY —A 38-year-old Atglen woman was sentenced Wednesday in the Chester County Justice Center to five to 10 years in state prison for driving under the influence of illegal drugs in May 2021, resulting in the death of her 8-year-old daughter.

Tricia Consul pleaded guilty to causing the death of her daughter and severely injuring two other children in the May 22, 2021 crash in West Sadsbury Township, east of the Lancaster County border.

Judge Patrick Carmody imposed the sentence for Tricia Consul as a result of a plea agreement between Assistant District Attorney Justin Roberts and Consul’s attorney, Assistant Public Defender Peter Jurs.

Consul pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, aggravated assault by vehicle and related charges.

At the time of the crash, police said, Consul was driving with an expired license, no seatbelt, and a syringe and prescription pills in the vehicle, and was on her way to exchange marijuana for Klonopin.

She tested positive for Oxycodone, Klonopin and THC, according to the results of a blood test.

The three children were also not wearing seatbelts, police said.

After the sentencing, District Attorney Deb Ryan said getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while under the influence jeopardizes the safety of everyone.

“This was a horrific tragedy that resulted in the death of the defendant’s own child and injury of other children whom she was responsible for keeping safe,” Ryan said.

According to court records:

A witness said Consul was passing a tractor pulling a trailer when she hit a bridge in the 4800 block of Strasburg Road.

The tractor-trailer driver said he immediately called 911 and as she approached the Consul’s car, she was face-timing with another person.

Police started CPR on the 8-year-old child sitting in the front passenger seat who was not breathing.

The child was transported to Brandywine Hospital and Nemours Children’s Hospital in Wilmington, where she was pronounced dead.

The two other children, ages 9 and 11, were transported to area hospitals where one was determined to have a broken arm and the other a broken jaw. Both were treated and released.

Consul suffered a broken femur and sternum and a lacerated spleen.