NEWTON, Kan. — A 40-year-old Halstead woman has been arrested on a warrant for a charge of involuntary manslaughter and another charge of vehicular homicide. The charges coming as a result of a fatality accident last summer. Kala Horton was arrested on a $10,000 bond for the charge in Harvey County.
The accident occurred back on June 3, 2014, when 29-year-old Crystal Stauffer of Newton was jogging in the 2700 block of NW 12th, a Harvey County Road. Horton struck and killed Stauffer.
Horton stated to investigators she had been rolling up her window to prevent air and dust getting into her face from a passing vehicle. While rolling up her window her vehicle drifted to the right. When she looked back up she saw Stauffer walking on the road, but was unable to avoid striking her with her car.
Investigators say Horton’s speech was slow and slurred during her interview. She told them she had a stroke three weeks prior and she was having a reaction to the medications provided to her causing her tongue to swell. Horton had been traveling to Newton to buy Benadryl to help her with her reaction to her medications. When asked when the last time was she had used any illegal narcotics, she responded it had been years ago.
A blood draw was done on Horton as is the procedure for all fatality accidents. The blood was sent to the KBI laboratory for analysis and on Jan. 30, the blood test was completed. The test revealed a positive screen for methamphetamine.