DRIVER OF THE MINIVAN THAT KILLED 2 GIRLS IN QUEENS ADMITS SHE SMOKED CRACK DID HEROIN & DRANK BEFORE THE CRASH!

A Queens mom admitted she smoked crack, did heroin and drank booze before she wrecked a minivan, killing two foster children, officials said.
From her bed at Jamaica Hospital, Sheila Bethea detailed a binge that started in the wee hours Monday, before she got behind the wheel to drive with five children - none wearing seat belts.

"[Bethea] stated ... she smoked crack cocaine around 1 or 2 a.m., that she did heroin around 9 a.m. and that she had drank one alcoholic beverage around noon that same day," a detective said in an affidavit.

Investigators believe Bethea, 45, wrapped a crack pipe in a tissue and hid it in a body cavity after the crash shortly before 5 p.m., law enforcement sources said.

Tests on the pipe and her blood to determine whether she was high while driving have not been completed, the sources said.

Bethea was held on $500,000 bail last night after pleading not guilty to manslaughter, assault and endangering the welfare of a child charges.

Queens Criminal Court Judge Mary O'Donoghue also ordered Bethea not to have any contact with the surviving girls.

"You are to stay away from them, mam," she said.

Bethea, who pleaded guilty in 2003 to driving a vehicle while impaired by alcohol, told cops she lost control of the van because a replacement tire gave way, court papers said.

She said was going 45 mph at the time of the crash, though cops believe she was traveling more than 70 mph.

One of the foster kids in the van said yesterday that she knew they were in danger moments before they slammed into another car on a St. Albans street.

"The car was swerving, she was driving fast," Alyahh Garcia, 11, said yesterday after she was released from Jamaica Hospital.

"She was swerving because she couldn't control the car."

Katherine Willis, 15, and Melissa Elh-Mirra, 5 - two of the four foster children in the care of Bethea's mother - died hours after being crushed inside the vehicle.

Bethea's daughter, Tatiana, 6, is in a medically induced coma with massive internal injuries.

Alyahh suffered massive bruises on her chest and neck and cuts all over her body, but said she was only worried about her 10-year-old sister, Camara Sergonvich, who was crammed into the backseat.

"A [good Samaritan] lady came out and got Camara out of the car," said Alyahh, who recalled that Bethea staggered out of the vehicle, apologizing.

"She said she lost control and she was sorry and she was driving too fast," said Alyahh.

Alyahh and Camara's biological mother railed against Sheila and foster mom Genevieve Bethea for putting the kids in harm's way.

"I think [Sheila] needs help - she shouldn't have been around the kids," said Pholia McArthur.

McArthur, 50, who had six of her 10 children placed in foster care, claimed the Bethea family used the kids as "paychecks" and abused them.

Genevieve Bethea, who was not arrested, would not speak to reporters, but her sister-in-law said the foster mother was crushed by the kids' deaths.

"She's like numb," said Sarah Leonard. "She's just devastated."