Woman was high and doing her makeup during fatal crash that killed 6-year-old boy.

Indiana Woman Charged in Fatal Crash That Killed 6-Year-Old Boy

A 43-year-old Indiana woman, Khristal Grant, faces charges after a multi-vehicle crash on November 9, 2024, that resulted in the death of 6-year-old James Doniven Hodges. Police allege Grant was under the influence of methamphetamine and applying makeup while driving at the time of the collision.

Court records indicate Grant, driving a Chevy Tahoe, rear-ended a Ford Explorer carrying James and his grandparents on State Road 44. The impact, at approximately 68 mph, sent the Explorer into oncoming traffic, where it collided with a minivan. A Jeep then struck Grant’s vehicle, damaging four cars in total. James, who was nearing his seventh birthday, was pronounced dead at the scene. Several others were injured and hospitalized.

Witnesses reported Grant’s Tahoe swerving erratically and passing them while she was looking in the mirror, applying makeup. Although Grant claimed she was attentive and unable to stop in time, witnesses noted she did not brake until half a second before the crash, as confirmed by her vehicle’s data recorder. Blood tests revealed amphetamine and methamphetamine in her system, and she admitted to recent drug use.

Grant faces two counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, causing death. She was arrested on May 28, 2025, and is held on a $10,000 bond at Shelby County Jail, with a court date set for June 25.