APRIL 2025 UPDATE: On April 15, a St. Joseph County Superior Court Judge granted Kara Beaty’s petition for post-conviction relief and vacated her conviction for causing death or catastrophic injury to a motorcyclist.

On April 17, the state’s motion to dismiss the criminal charges against her was granted, officially exonerating Beaty.

According to the University of Notre Dame's Law School, Beaty’s wrongful conviction stemmed from a June 2020 collision between Beaty’s vehicle and a motorcyclist. Beaty, who was just 18 years old at the time of the crash, was charged with causing death or catastrophic injury to the motorcyclist while operating a vehicle with a controlled substance in her blood.

"Beaty was charged under this statute even though she had only trace amounts of THC in her blood from marijuana use a full day before the crash, and she was not impaired at the time of the crash," the school said. 

OCTOBER 2023 UPDATE: In October 2023, Beaty was found guilty of causing catastrophic injury when operating a motor vehicle with a schedule I or schedule II substance. She was sentenced to six years with the Indiana Department of Correction with three years suspended and one day of jail credit. 

AUGUST 2020 ORIGINAL STORY: ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- A driver has been charged in a crash that caused serious injuries to a motorcyclist on June 2, according to court records.

Kara Christine Beaty, 18, has been charged with causing serious bodily injury when operating a vehicle with a schedule I or II substance in blood.

At approximately 10:45 p.m., Erin Smith was driving his motorcycle northbound on Michigan Street when Beaty turned in front of Smith's motorcycle, according to the probable cause affidavit.

The collision caused Beaty's car to crash into a utility pole and the motorcycle to go airborne for approximately 70 feet, reports said.

Smith was seriously injured in the crash and suffered multiple broken bones, reports said.

Beaty suffered some injuries and was also transported to the hospital.

A forensic blood draw on Beaty showed a positive result for marijuana.

Beaty was arrested on August 9 and bonded out the same day.

She is scheduled for an initial hearing on August 25.