Norristown woman hit a SEPTA bus in a DUI crash that killed her infant son, prosecutors said

A Norristown woman didn’t properly secure her 14-month-old son into his car seat on Sept. 30 when she got behind the wheel of her Mazda minivan while high on narcotics, prosecutors said Monday.

And when she crashed into the back of a stopped SEPTA bus in East Norriton, the infant came out of his restraints, receiving injuries that later led to his death.

Arbetina Johnson-Lowery, 35, was charged on Jan. 5 with homicide by vehicle, DUI, accidents involving death while not licensed, reckless endangerment and related offenses. She was released on $500,000 unsecured bail.

There was no indication she had hired an attorney.

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Investigators responding to the crash, which occurred on Old Arch Road and East Johnson Highway in East Norriton, found Johnson-Lowery trapped inside her vehicle, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed for her arrest. A SEPTA bus at the scene had significant damage to its front end.

Witnesses had already helped free her son from the totaled van, and medics had transported the boy to Suburban Hospital. The injuries to his head and face were so severe, he was airlifted to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where he later died, the affidavit said.

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Other witnesses told police that Johnson-Lowery had been driving recklessly before the crash, hitting another vehicle’s bumper before colliding with the front of the bus as it was unloading passengers. After the crash, Johnson-Lowery screamed for bystanders to “Get [her] baby,” the affidavit said.

As investigators worked to free Johnson-Lowery from her van, they saw an empty bottle of Yukon Jack whiskey, as well as a cigarette box that had two marijuana cigarettes and a packet of cocaine inside of it.

Police also found a car seat in the back of the van that had been properly installed. However, the seat was meant for a newborn, and Johnson-Lowery’s son was too big to be safely secured by its straps, according to the affidavit.

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At Jefferson Abington Hospital, where Johnson-Lowery was taken for treatment, doctors drew her blood because of the seriousness of the crash, the affidavit said. It later tested positive for marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and Bromazolam, a designer benzodiazepine drug similar to Xanax.

Investigators found that Johnson-Lowery’s license had been suspended since 2018, and her car’s registration had been suspended due to a lack of insurance, the affidavit said. She also had three active arrest warrants at the time of her arrest from Montgomery County for failing to appear for court proceedings.