A woman who was charged in the death of Broadway star Ruthie Ann Miles’s daughter and another child was found dead.
An NYPD spokesperson told the publication Bruns died of a suicide at her Staten Island home. Another police official told People that she died of an overdose. A note was also found “expressing [her] desire to no longer live,” an official said.
Burns, in March 2018, allegedly hit and killed two pedestrians in Brooklyn, which included Miles’s 4-year-old Abigail Blumenstein. Miles, who was pregnant, was injured in the incident. Lauren Lew, a friend of Miles, was injured and her 1-year-old, Joshua Lew, died.
A Brooklyn grand jury indicted Bruns on charges of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault, reports said.
The Post reported that Bruns had multiple sclerosis and was prone to seizures. But before the crash in March, she was told not to drive.
In the case, Bruns faced 15 years in prison.
The NYPD Chief of Detectives told the Post last week: “There was a suicide note recovered at the scene as well as evidence of prescription pills, and beyond that I’ll defer to the [Medical Examiner] to conclude the investigation.”
“That’s the reality across the board. This is just an extremely painful case from moment one and I wish that none of this had come to pass,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “But what’s abundantly clear at the same time is that we have to change our laws so that we don’t have any more tragedies like the one she was originally involved in with those who lost their lives.”
In March, a source told People: “Abigail was excited to be a big sister. She was the brightest little spirit. Every time you were around her, your heart couldn’t help but shine. She had the sweetest laugh and the loveliest personality. She was very much like her mother.”
“Ruthie was a wonderful mother. She always put Abigail first and was really dedicated to spending time together,” the source added. “The two had a very tight bond. They were inseparable.”
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