Birmingham, AL : Woman, 2 young boys killed when their car hit by a drunk driver on Saturday, December 19, 2015

Family members of a woman and two young children killed when authorities say they were hit by a drunk driver in eastern Jefferson County said they are shocked and grief-stricken over the deadly crash.

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified the victims as Diane McGlown, 47; Cardell Coachman, 8 and Jakobe Johnson, also 8. The blood alcohol level of the motorist who struck them was more than twice the legal limit, said Jefferson County sheriff's Chief Deputy Randy Christian, and he is now charged with three counts of murder.

"I'm just asking God to give me strength,'' said Lutrica McGlown, the youngest sister of Diane McGlown. "For this to happen, it's just crazy."

The crash happened just after 11 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of Alabama Highway 79 and Jefferson State Parkway when the victims were on their way home from a family gathering. The victims were in a red Mitsubishi and the suspect – Lawrence Jason Bewley - was in a white Dodge van.

Two of the backseat passengers from the Mitsubishi - McGlown and Jakobe - had been ejected. The second boy was found still in the backseat of the car. All three were pronounced dead on the scene at 11:17 p.m.

The 39-year-old female driver and a 71-year-old woman who was a front passenger, both from Birmingham, suffered serious injuries and were transported to the hospital. They are both expected to survive. Christian said the driver was the stepmother of one of the boys that was killed. The other boy was a family friend.

Witnesses and evidence indicated the van was traveling northbound on Alabama Highway 79 at a high rate of speed. The Mitsubishi was crossing from Jefferson State Parkway to travel south on Alabama Highway 79. The van struck the Mitsubishi in the driver's side, Christian said.

Bewley, 45, was not injured. While questioning Bewley, Christian said, deputies discovered that he appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested and charged with DUI.

Bewley was taken to the Jefferson County Jail in Birmingham where a test indicated his blood alcohol content was more than twice the limit. He was then also charged with three counts of murder, and booked into the Jefferson County Jail with bond set at $187,500.

Court records show Bewley had a prior DUI conviction in 1998.

Elace Minnifiel is Cardell's aunt. She said the family is taking the deaths hard. "My sister is as any mother would be, torn,'' Minnifiel said. "The rest of the family is still in disbelief."

"We are all just trying to make sense of it all,'' she said. "Everyone is just being really supportive and in and out of their emotions. He was everybody's son."

Lutrica McGlown said her sister, who lived in the Kingston community, was well-known and much-loved. "She was very loving and kind and helped everyone,'' she said. "She always kept it real. She was going to tell you what's on her mind. That was my sister."

Jakobe, Lutrica McGlown said, was a typical little boy who loved church, football and tee-ball. All of those in the van were friends and related by marriage.

Lutricia McGlown said they are angry about the accident. "For his alcohol to be more than two times over the limit, that is jeopardizing his life and everybody else's,'' she said. "He doesn't know how many lives he has touched."

Source :

Woman, 2 young boys killed in weekend Jeffco crash identified