Woman sentenced for illegal U-turn crash that killed 3 children

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW/Gray News) - A Kansas woman convicted for killing three children in a 2022 crash was sentenced on Tuesday to three to five years in prison.

A Shawnee Court judge sentenced Amber Peery to 64 months, two 32 months sentences consecutively for two counts of reckless involuntary manslaughter.

The Topeka resident was given an additional 72 months on the other count of reckless involuntary manslaughter, along with the two counts of aggravated battery that will run concurrently with the 64 months.

Peery was convicted in August 2024 for an October 2022 crash that happened when she tried to complete an illegal U-turn on the Kansas Turnpike and was charged with involuntary manslaughter and aggravated battery in June 2023.

Three children, including Peery’s daughter, died in the crash. Peery and two other children in the vehicle were injured.

Peery showed no emotion in the courtroom this week as she read a three-page statement, apologizing to the families, saying the children are gone because of her decision.

“I didn’t see any remorse in her actions,” Jackie Lunn, grandmother to one of the children, said. “I hate to say that because she’s a mother and lost her child too, but I still think there was no remorse since she wanted to blame everyone else. So, I feel she did need to do some prison time.”