Police say mother tossed boys from Dallas overpass, then jumped

 

DALLAS (AP) — Motorists watched in horror Wednesday as a woman tossed two young boys off a freeway overpass, then took the two-story leap into rush-hour traffic herself. But the shocking moment had an incredibly fortunate ending.

Police said Khandi Busby and her children, ages 8 and 6, somehow survived the fall onto Interstate 30's fast lane and the rush of vehicles.

"It was really miraculous that we didn't have some fatalities with this incident," Dallas police spokesman Sgt. Gil Cerda said.

Busby, 27, was in fair condition, a hospital spokeswoman said. Police said her sons were stable at another hospital, but hospital officials declined to comment later Wednesday. The three were able to speak with investigators, although the 8-year-old may have suffered internal injuries.

Busby had not been arrested as of Wednesday but could face two charges of attempted capital murder, Cerda said.

 

"The why remains a mystery to us," police Lt. C.L. Williams said. "If you try to apply logic to these incidents, they totally defy any logical explanation."

Shortly before 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, Busby and her sons walked away from her father, who had stopped for gas while driving them to a friend's house. Police do not know why Busby left with her children.

"She was not fleeing for her safety," Cerda said. "She just threw them over and decided to throw herself over."

Her father tried to follow the three in the car but was unable to get to them before they reached the overpass east of downtown Dallas.

Police said each boy struggled with Busby as she picked him up and threw him onto the far left lane of the freeway, where cars swerved to avoid them. Police believe Busby and the 8-year-old were struck by cars, which managed to miss the younger brother and avoid collisions, Cerda said.

Motorist Sondra Plunk said traffic was moving at 35 to 40 mph when one of the boys fell in front of a van one lane over and about a car length in front of her. The van fishtailed as its driver slammed the brakes and swerved around the boy.

 

Plunk, 44, said the boy landed on his side and then immediately popped up onto his hands and knees, staring directly into the van's headlights.

"I saw his face," Plunk said of the boy. "I saw the fear in his face. He rolled to all fours. Knowing he was still alive, knowing he was still conscious and he had the presence of mind to think, 'My God, I have to get out of here.'"

Medical experts said two-story falls can be fatal, but not always.

Dr. Dave Milzman, a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians, said that if someone lands feet first their odds of surviving a fall from 22 feet are good.

"As long as they landed kind of upright, it's not that unusual not to injure themselves severely," Milzman said.

Busby has a criminal record, including convictions for assault and criminal trespass of a habitation. Child Protective Services had intervened with her on at least three occasions for incidents that police described as relatively minor.

 

In October 2004, investigators substantiated allegations that the boys were unkempt and wore dirty clothes. Busby was ordered to take parenting skills training.

In March 2005, the boys were placed in foster care following a domestic dispute between Busby and her boyfriend. Busby was arrested, and the boys stayed in foster care for about five months before moving back in with their mother.

A third allegation in October 2006, involving neglectful supervision, was unsubstantiated by state investigators.

Associated Press writers Jamie Stengle and Terry Wallace contributed to this report.