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Three Illinois Children Drown

Aired September 04, 2003 - 14:07   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: In Clinton, Illinois, Maurice Lagrone Jr. is charged with driving under the influence of drugs. That itself is not newsworthy. It's what happened while he was allegedly under the influence that is.
CNN's Jeff Flock explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CHICAGO BUREAU CHIEF: Investigators working the case here at the DeWitt County sheriff's office in Clinton are trying to determine why three children, three young children, ended up in a submerged car that wound up in a lake on the outskirts of town.

Let's take you out to the scene, the latest pictures from the scene from today. This is a place called Clinton Lake. It all happened here on Tuesday night in the evening. A car carrying 6-year- old Christopher Hamm, 3-year-old Austin Brown, his brother, and 23- month-old Kyleigh Hamm, their sister, ended up going down a boat ramp into the lake.

Was it driven in? Did it roll in? At this point, authorities do not know. What they do know is that the children's 28-year-old mother, Amanda Hamm, called 911 from a pay phone at the scene. Rescuers came on the scene and pulled two of the boys out, who were dead. They pulled the little girl out. She survived for a time, but later died.

At this point, one man was arrested. It was the boyfriend of the mother. A 28-year-old man has been charged with driving that car and driving under the influence of drugs. We have been poking around, trying to fine something more about Amanda Hamm, the mother, this day, here in Clinton. We talked to the manager of the restaurant where Ms. Hamm works as a waitress. She said her impression was that she was a good mother and took good care of her children.

BRENDA FOUTS, CO-WORKER OF AMANDA HAMM: She loved her children. And one of the other co-workers had said the night before that she thought about she would like to have another child.

FLOCK: At this point, no word on any additional charges. At this point., authorities say they are still trying to piece together what happened. They want to know, was it an accident? Was there some negligence involved? Or was there some intent, perhaps, to harm the children on the part of someone?

At this point, they don't have answers to that. And they say it may be a while before they do.

I'm Jeff Flock, CNN, in Clinton, Illinois.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired September 4, 2003 - 14:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: In Clinton, Illinois, Maurice Lagrone Jr. is charged with driving under the influence of drugs. That itself is not newsworthy. It's what happened while he was allegedly under the influence that is.
CNN's Jeff Flock explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CHICAGO BUREAU CHIEF: Investigators working the case here at the DeWitt County sheriff's office in Clinton are trying to determine why three children, three young children, ended up in a submerged car that wound up in a lake on the outskirts of town.

Let's take you out to the scene, the latest pictures from the scene from today. This is a place called Clinton Lake. It all happened here on Tuesday night in the evening. A car carrying 6-year- old Christopher Hamm, 3-year-old Austin Brown, his brother, and 23- month-old Kyleigh Hamm, their sister, ended up going down a boat ramp into the lake.

Was it driven in? Did it roll in? At this point, authorities do not know. What they do know is that the children's 28-year-old mother, Amanda Hamm, called 911 from a pay phone at the scene. Rescuers came on the scene and pulled two of the boys out, who were dead. They pulled the little girl out. She survived for a time, but later died.

At this point, one man was arrested. It was the boyfriend of the mother. A 28-year-old man has been charged with driving that car and driving under the influence of drugs. We have been poking around, trying to fine something more about Amanda Hamm, the mother, this day, here in Clinton. We talked to the manager of the restaurant where Ms. Hamm works as a waitress. She said her impression was that she was a good mother and took good care of her children.

BRENDA FOUTS, CO-WORKER OF AMANDA HAMM: She loved her children. And one of the other co-workers had said the night before that she thought about she would like to have another child.

FLOCK: At this point, no word on any additional charges. At this point., authorities say they are still trying to piece together what happened. They want to know, was it an accident? Was there some negligence involved? Or was there some intent, perhaps, to harm the children on the part of someone?

At this point, they don't have answers to that. And they say it may be a while before they do.

I'm Jeff Flock, CNN, in Clinton, Illinois.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com