Burnam indicted for child's death

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

A Burnet woman has been indicted on a charge of criminally negligent homicide for a 2015 accident which killed her two-year-old son.

Alyssa Burnam, 26, also faces two counts of abandonment or endangerment of a child criminal negligence in connection with the July 26, 2015, single-vehicle rollover on County Road 116 in Hoover Valley.

The accident killed John Xavier (Jax) Meyers, 2, when he was ejected from the Ford F150 extended cab pickup truck Burnam had been driving. He was transported to an area hospital after the crash, but was pronounced dead there an hour after the accident.

Also injured in the accident was Burnam's brother Maddox Heartline, now 12, who had been sitting in the front seat of the truck with Burnam. Heartline was transported to Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas in serious condition.

None of the three had been wearing any type of safety restraint, according to a Texas Department of Public Safety report. Burnam was not transported by ambulance.

DPS trooper Bryan Feure reported Burnam's vehicle “was traveling westbound and went off the road to the right.” It was unknown what made Burnam lose control of her vehicle and was unclear whether alcohol or drugs had been a factor in the crash.

Burnam is set to appear for arraignment before District Judge Allan Garrett at the Burnet County Courthouse at 9 a.m. June 20. A status hearing on the case is set for 1 p.m. July 19.

Burnam previously had been involved in a March 9, 2013, accident which resulted in charges of driving while intoxicated and deadly conduct, both misdemeanors.

She pleaded nolo contendre to the deadly conduct charges on Feb. 12, 2015 — just five months before the crash which killed Meyers — and had been sentenced to 18 months probation, 90 hours of community service and fees and fines totaling $1,727. The DWI charge was later dismissed.

Burnam had also been previously ticketed in 2008 for having an unrestrained child under the age of four in her vehicle.