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 Linda Thomas
twitter: @TheNewsChick
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Linda is the morning news anchor and features reporter for KIRO Radio. This is her local news blog, with an emphasis on social media, technology, Northwest companies, education, parenting, and anything else that grabs her attention.

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KeatonHuff.jpg
Four-year-old Aryanna, left, rescued her two-year-old sister Lylah from a car accident that killed their mother Jessica Rath. (Facebook photo)

Mother killed in car accident was getting her life together

February 21, 2013 @ 5:56 pm (Updated: 8:27 am - 2/22/13 )

It was late Wednesday, when Jessica Rath drove from her home in Astoria, Oregon to Westport, Washington with her two little girls in the van to pick up her husband from a commercial fishing trip.

Keaton Huff last talked with his wife around midnight, when he informed her that his boat had changed course and would be going to Portland instead. She insisted she was okay driving there to meet him.

She never made it.

Huff posted on his Facebook page, "my wife n kids are missing" and asked anyone who knew where they might be to call.

Rath accidentally went off the road and crashed into a tree head-on, killing her and leaving her two daughters in an isolated area, surrounded by trees.

Alone.

Four-year-old Aryanna Rath injured her leg, but managed to pull her two-year-old sister Lylah out of the car. The toddler had leg and head injuries. The little girls covered themselves with a blanket as the temperature dropped to the 40s overnight.

They stayed near the wreckage between six and eight hours until someone remarkably found them around 8:00 Wednesday morning.

Mourning begins as Lylah recovers in a Portland hospital. Aryanna has been released and is with her dad.

Rath had problems in the past, but according to her husband's Facebook page, she was getting her life back on track and the young family was happier than they'd ever been.

The crime blotter in the January 26 edition of The Longview Daily News indicates Rath was sentenced to 10 days in jail for heroin possession and third-degree theft.

On his public Facebook profile, Huff posted in December: I'm with my wife where I belong…from now on I will not tolerate anymore bad talk about her or judgmental comments…She is on the road to recovery and I am right by her side.

By LINDA THOMAS

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (35)


  • Add A Comment

  • R L M 456 wrote...
    Ms Linda- You just amaze me
    February 21, 2013 6:00 pm
    Absolutly WHAT VALUE do you see in making sure the public knew about the "past" flaws of this loving mother

    You "journalists" (and I use the word with Throw-up in my mouth)

    can't wait to sensationlize a story that leaves 2 small children motherless and a husband in pain

    and NO, I did not know these people

    nice job of reporting

    I hear National Enquire is looking to hire

    don't miss the chance

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Zagnut wrote...
    R L M, your "loving mom"
    February 21, 2013 6:26 pm
    Recently was sentenced to 10 days for heroin possession and theft. Now your "loving mom" is dead after slamming her car into a tree in the middle of the night - while driving her 4 and 2 year old children.

    You make me want to "throw-up in my mouth".

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • wsualumn wrote...
    R L M
    February 21, 2013 6:31 pm
    Here is how it could have been viewed by some in the community that knew about her past problems: She didn't have it together. The story spells out that she was getting it together and the family was happy. To me, that is turning a negative into a positive. Such a sad time for the daughters and husband. Thankfully, somebody happened to check out the sight that didn't seem to be quite right. Those kids could have easily been found much later when they would have died.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    The positive is that little Aryanna was able at only 4.......
    February 23, 2013 12:09 pm
    to save herself and her sister. I agree, Wazzu, that thank God those girls were found and will now live and grow up.

    THAT is the story. The past sins of their mother should be buried with her. And let's all hope for a bright and happy future.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    BTW, there IS nothing wrong with addiction, EXCEPT if you do nothing about it.
    February 23, 2013 12:14 pm
    If she WAS doing something, good for her. And then she died clean. ..... But if not, it really doesn't matter any more, does it ?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • imanegro wrote...
    Get a grip, R L M 456...
    February 21, 2013 7:12 pm
    ...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SeaGal01 wrote...
    Journalism...
    February 21, 2013 8:55 pm
    Linda's job is to be a journalist. I don't find it productive for you to begrudge her for that. Journalism is the activity or product of journalists or others engaged in the preparation of written, visual, or audio material intended for dissemination through public media with reference to factual, ongoing events of public concern. It is intended to inform society about itself and to make public, THINGS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE PRIVATE. She's doing her job. If you're blaming people for reporting private info, start with the AP, as well.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Steinsbu wrote...
    R L M 456
    February 22, 2013 6:38 am
    I agree
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • R L M 456 wrote...
    You are missing my point
    February 21, 2013 8:14 pm
    AGAIN __ I ask the question

    What Value to the public,

    was it to drag this mothers past thru the mud

    the story should have stopped at the rescue and bravery of the older sister

    and the awareness of the people that found the accident

    NOT- what trash can be shown about the mother

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Dan1 wrote...
    This happens everyday across the USA
    February 21, 2013 8:15 pm
    So sorry for what happened to this family, Don't rip on Linda because it did not have a happy ending for the mother. As for whatever else we might not know, those two little ones do not have a mother anymore. AJ McCarrell you have too much time on your hands with all your numerous rambling BS rants on just about every story Linda reports on. I hope you come out of your dark cellar soon. RIP Jessica Rath.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • MittensRomney wrote...
    She was awesome.
    February 22, 2013 2:24 am
    Nothing wrong with being a thief and shooting dope. That's what good mums do. She was probably cold sober not distracted when she ran off the road killing herself and almost her children too. like Obama, she is a horrible parent.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • po_guy wrote...
    Maybe
    February 22, 2013 5:46 am
    Some reporter should have dug into her family past to determine if her hubby was a cheater or alcoholic, anything that would have pushed her over the edge into drugs and the activities that follow addiction...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Dan1 wrote...
    AJ
    February 22, 2013 6:22 am
    Methinksnot! No comment!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • circuitfr wrote...
    ummm.
    February 22, 2013 6:59 am
    I actually agree with Linda on this one. She got out of Jail 15 days ago for Heroin and Theft? Do you know how drug addictions work? She would not of been able to stay clean. Maybe she was clean at this point, but you can't fix that kind of addiction without treatment. If she was sentence on Jan 26th, I'm sorry, this mother had NO BUSINESS having her kids, sober or not. Drug addicts care very little about their families, hence, she was in jail instead of being with her kids. Very sad = HECK YES. Even if she used drugs, she didn't deserve to die like this. Avoidable = HECK YES. People need to stand up for children. If you are not fit to be a parent, do the honorable thing and give your kids to someone who can be a good parent. There are lots of parents that want to adopt.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • soo purletiv wrote...
    The News Chick; Stuck between a rock and a hard place
    February 22, 2013 7:53 am
    Linda, it seems you can't win sometimes.

    Since you published this "loving" mother's past, recent past at that, you get an earful from those who don't appreciate you doing so.

    But what would have happened if you didn't? I submit this wholly accurate scenario and resultant post:

    @ News Chick: Nice journalism Linda. Funny how you conveniently left out the fact that she had recently been in jail for heroin possession and 3rd degree theft. It didn't take much for me to find these facts, so how hard would it have been for you with all your sources and credentials? What do you have to hide there Linda? Why do you try to protect these miscreants and their bad behavior? Just report the facts and let us digest it and leave your Liberal agenda out of it. You call yourself a journalist? I puke better than you write articles...

    Yep! DamXed if you do, DamXed if you don't. That's life in the big city...

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • rkris1 wrote...
    Perfectly put
    February 22, 2013 8:34 am
    very well done
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • DonVigo wrote...
    Human tragedy brings out the best in some people...
    February 22, 2013 8:19 am
    ... It's just that none of them post on MYNW.com. Seriously, the conversation here is just... Low. So easy to sit in your ivory towers and cast your judgements on others. Real name, screen name, whatever, it's all just so much internet name calling to stroke one's own ego. Linda, again I applaud your efforts and understand that you don't have total control over what you report on or what makes the final edit. Keep doing your job the way your employers expect, as you're obviously successful at it. To AJ and the rest... You don't like what's on TV, you change the channel... Right? Perhaps you twist the dial or click another page on your browser, as for all the effort, you'll never make KIRO/MYNW what YOU want it to be.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • bofus wrote...
    Don Vigo
    February 22, 2013 8:33 am
    Good post!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • crafty_lexi wrote...
    She was a loving mother.
    February 22, 2013 11:07 am
    I have a sister who has made a million dumb mistakes. She is working her butt off to fix all that garbage. And some day, if/when it comes up with her daughter, she'll be honest about her bad choices. And the hard work she put in to fix all her mistakes. She'll hold her head high and proudly teach her daughter about consequences, sacrifice and taking responsibilty for your choices. Watching how my sister struggles to overcome the hurdles of her past, I have to say Mrs. Rath's daughters should be proud of their mother. Having a checkered past happens to a lot of people. Overcoming that past should be celebrated. That she was headed down a scary road and was working hard to get back on the right path...if those girls ever see this article, they should see that their mother did love them. Because that's what this article tells me, she loved them enough to fight her demons.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    *** STOP THE SHOW ***
    February 22, 2013 11:27 am
    when you address AJ McCarrell its Mr. Flounder!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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