By Joel Currier and Shane Anthony
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
02/05/2010
WARREN COUNTY — The labor cramps had started. Hailey's life had nearly begun. But she never got the chance.
The unborn child and her mother died in May in a fiery crash on Interstate 70 that prosecutors say was caused by the woman's boyfriend Cody Schmitt, who inexplicably rammed into another car.
The man Schmitt hit rescued him and his 1-year-old son, Steve, from the melting wreckage. He couldn't reach Kimberly Aubuchon, 19, but Warren County Coroner Roger Mauzy said she died on impact.
Schmitt, 21, of Warrenton, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree assault and one count of child endangerment. He was jailed Thursday in lieu of $130,000 bail.
Aubuchon, 19, of Warrenton, was Steve's mother and eight months pregnant. She was riding with Schmitt in his pickup west on the highway about 6:15 p.m. when he suddenly slammed on his brakes and stopped in the passing lane, police said. The driver of a Kia Sorrento, Chad Williams, swerved to avoid Schmitt, then was next to the pickup a short time later when Schmitt jerked his steering wheel toward the Kia and forced it off the road.
Both vehicles tumbled down a steep embankment. The pickup burst into flames. Williams and a passenger weren't seriously hurt.
Prosecutor Mike Wright said it's not known whether the crash stemmed from road rage or whether Schmitt was arguing with Aubuchon. Williams could not be reached for comment.
Aubuchon and Schmitt visited her grandmother in St. Charles the day of the crash.
Dave Aubuchon, 43, of Warrenton, said his daughter thought she felt labor pains and wanted to go to the hospital. She and Schmitt "had a little bit of an argument about it," he said, but they drove toward Warrenton with Steve strapped in a car seat.
Aubuchon said his daughter left Schmitt once, but she went back to him. "That's one thing we really don't forget — Kim did love him," he said.
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But Aubuchon said his daughter had told him about comments Schmitt had made in the past while driving: "If you don't shut that damn baby up, I'm going to slam the brakes and kill us all."
After the crash, Schmitt moved in with Aubuchon and his family. He slept in Kim Aubuchon's room but left after a few weeks, saying he couldn't "handle staying," Dave Aubuchon said.
Aubuchon said his daughter dreamed of college, becoming a veterinarian and raising children.
"She was very happy that she was having another baby," he said. "It was her dream to have a boy and a girl. She was very excited."
Kim Aubuchon grew up in the O'Fallon, Mo., area until her family moved to Warren County a few years ago, he said. She met Schmitt in high school, and they started dating three to four years ago.
Dave Aubuchon said his daughter and Schmitt had talked about getting married but weren't in a hurry. "They were just trying to get through, trying to figure out what they were actually going to do," he said.
Dave Aubuchon said his family — he and his wife, Kerry, have two younger daughters — welcomed Schmitt.
"We got along with Cody quite well," he said. "We kind of pulled him into our family, and we accepted him."
Schmitt's mother came to the Aubuchons' house Wednesday, the day charges were filed, Dave Aubuchon said. She brought police and a document saying she had power of attorney and took Steve with her. Dave Aubuchon said his family has asked an attorney to help them with custody.
Dave Aubuchon said he didn't want Schmitt to go to prison for a long time. He just wanted officers to do their investigation, and, more than anything else, he wanted to continue to raise Steve.
"I want to be able to raise my grandbaby," Dave Aubuchon said.
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