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Woman throws kids off freeway before she jumps

Mother and sons survive the two-story fall.

DALLAS - Motorists watched in horror as a woman tossed two young boys off a freeway overpass, then took the two-story leap into rush-hour traffic herself.

Police said Khandi Busby and her children, ages 8 and 6, somehow survived the fall onto Interstate 30's fast lane and the rush of vehicles.

Busby, 27, was in fair condition, a hospital spokeswoman said. Police said her sons were stable at another hospital. The three were able to speak with investigators.

Busby could face two charges of attempted capital murder, Dallas police Sgt. Gil Cerda said.

Shortly before 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, Busby and her sons walked away from her father, who had stopped for gas while driving them to a friend's house. Police do not know why Busby left with her children.

Her father tried to follow the three in the car but was unable to get to them before they reached the overpass.

Police said each boy struggled as she picked him up and threw him onto the far left lane of the freeway, where cars swerved to avoid them. Police believe Busby and the 8-year-old were struck by cars, which managed to miss the younger brother, Cerda said.

Motorist Sondra Plunk said traffic was moving at 35 to 40 mph when one of the boys fell in front of a van one lane over and about a car length in front of her. The van fishtailed and swerved around the boy.

Plunk, 44, said the boy landed on his side and then immediately popped up onto his hands and knees, staring directly into the van's headlights.

"I saw his face," Plunk said of the boy. "I saw the fear in his face. He rolled to all fours. Knowing he was still alive, knowing he was still conscious and he had the presence of mind to think, 'My God, I have to get out of here.'"

Busby has a criminal record, including convictions for assault and criminal trespass. Child Protective Services had intervened with her on at least three occasions for incidents that police described as relatively minor.

In October 2004, investigators substantiated allegations that the boys were unkempt and wore dirty clothes. Busby was ordered to take parenting skills training.

In March 2005, the boys were placed in foster care for about five months after a domestic dispute between Busby and her boyfriend.

A third allegation in October 2006, involving neglectful supervision, was unsubstantiated by state investigators.

[Last modified March 12, 2008, 23:02:14]