The two-year-old infant caught in floodwaters in rural southern Crittenden County appears to have died from drowning according to Kentucky State Police.
The autopsy on Kate Hearod was performed late this morning at the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Madisonville, listing the preliminary cause of death appeared to be from drowning.
The little girl and her mother, Heather Hearod, 22, were trapped in a 2007 Dodge Charger after Heather drove in the predawn hours into swiftly moving water along Ky. 855 about 11 miles southwest of Marion. A state trooper responding to the scene said the driver didn't have time to stop before hitting the water. He said black marks only six feet long apparently indicated she came up on the water very quickly.
Authorities have yet to locate the car swept away in the current.
Meantime, road crews spent most of Friday repairing damage around the county from floodwaters created by as much as seven inches of rain over a short period last night. Marion City Administrator Mark Bryant said significant damage was created to several streets in Marion, particularly Yandell Street.
-- dkt
