UPDATE 9/17/10 @ 1:30 p.m.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Erma Brown was back in court Friday, hoping that Judge Dan O'Hanlon would reconsider her sentence.

The families of the victims crowded the courtroom as Erma Brown headed back to court on Friday.

Brown's attorney argued that she has done everything she needed to do including taking responsibility for her actions which resulted in the deaths of three people.

The goal of the hearing was to get Brown's sentenced charged. Brown is currently serving three, two to six year terms which run consecutively. Her attorney asked Judge O'Hanlon to reconsider the sentence and change the terms to run concurrently.

"My only regret about this case is that she will get out one day," said Judge O'Hanlon. "I wish it were within my power to never have her get out of prison for the rest of her natural life, and I will certainly not reconsider this case."

With the decision made today Erma Brown will continue to serve her terms consecutively.

But on Monday, the family of a mother and two St. Joseph High School students saw the woman responsible for their pain sentenced to prison.

There was barely a dry eye in the courtroom. It was only a year ago this month that Carole Crawford was driving her daughter Meaghan and her friend, Kelsey Kuhn, to school. That's when Erma Brown crossed the center line and hit them head-on. It was later determined that Brown was under the influence of prescription drugs, which she was abusing.

"I can only hope the families can find it in their hearts to forgive her someday," said Leetha Presley, Brown’s mother.

The sentencing hearing started with pleas from Brown's family -- her mother, her husband, her daughter and then her own plea for help.

"Your honor, please help me. I’m an addict and I need help," Brown cried.

But it wasn't enough to overcome the torment, the devastation and the pain of the families of Carole Crawford, her daughter Meaghan and Meaghan's friend, Kelsey Kuhn.

“I’ve struggled to find the words to describe the depth of my loss. All I can come up with is when Kelsey died, I died,” said Stephanie Call, Kelsey’s mother.

“We didn’t get to say goodbye to Carole and Meaghan. A parent should never have to say goodbye to their child and certainly not their grandchild," said Dody Carlisle, Carole’s mother and Meaghan’s grandmother.

"I rarely use the word 'never.' It’s not a part of my vocabulary. But this is a fact. I will never get to give my daughter away and that was a decision that was taken from me," said Jeff Crawford, Meaghan’s father and Carole’s husband.

"This is a case I’ve struggled with all the way around," Cabell County Circuit Court Judge Dan O'Hanlon said.

He handed down the maximum punishment of three two to 10 years sentences -- one for each life taken. Brown could serve a maximum of thirty years in prison or get out on parole in as few as six.

O'Hanlon finished the hearing with a plea of his own.

"If you or a family member has a drug problem, get help," he said.

Brown pleaded guilty to DUI causing death in February.

In February, Erma Brown pleaded guilty to three counts of DUI causing death.

The 2-vehicle accident happened at about 7:30 a.m. on April 2, 2009 on Alternate Route 10 near the intersection of Eden’s Branch Road in Barboursville.

Investigators say Brown crossed the center line and hit the car driven by 47-year-old Carole Crawford. Crawford, her daughter Meaghan, 16, and Kelsey Kuhn, 15, died in the crash after their car caught fire.

During Monday's hearing in Cabell County Circuit Court, Judge Dan O'Hanlon sentenced Brown to three consecutive 2-10 year prison terms. That is the maxi mun sentenced allowed for her plea.

Brown was taking prescription medication for depression and panic attacks the morning of the crash. But during that plea hearing She admitted publicly she was taking much more than what was prescribed.

Before handing down the sentence, the court heard from both families.

Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for updated information

Now, the woman behind the wheel who caused that accident has pleaded guilty to the charges.

Erma Brown pled guilty to three counts of DUI causing death. She was taking prescription medication for depression and panic attacks the morning of the crash. But, Friday in court she finally admitted publicly she was taking much more than prescribed which led to her deadly mistake.

"I was abusing prescription drugs and I shouldn't have been driving that morning," Brown said in court.

Brown appeared to be a broken woman -- not only admitting her wrong, but accepting her role in killing a mother, her daughter and the daughter's friend.

“Please forgive me," she said. "I'm so sorry my actions resulted in killing three people."

“I know you are Ms. Brown and your apology will go a long way with the family, yourself and this community,” Cabell County Circuit Judge Dan O’Hanlon said.

The accident happened in April of last year as Carole Crawford was driving her daughter, Meaghan, and Meaghan's friend Kelsey Kuhn to class at St. Joseph High School. The crash occurred on Alternate Route 10 in Cabell County when Brown crossed the center line, crashing into the three head-on.

"I can’t imagine losing a wife and child. The family is devastated over this, but the apology does help," Chad Lovejoy said.

Lovejoy is representing Crawford’s family and says hearing Brown's apology has helped in this long process of healing.

"They couldn't come to court for a while, but they wanted to be here for this," Lovejoy said.

"We felt confident we had a strong case against her, and a jury would have found her guilty beyond a reasonable doubt," Cabell County Assistant Prosecutor Shawn Hammers said.

The prosecution says they had built a strong case against Brown that included a blood analysis and an expert who offered an opinion on how the toxic level of prescription drugs in her system affected her ability to drive.

Brown's plea means she could receive six to 30 years in prison. She is scheduled to be sentenced April 5.

Erma Brown pleaded guilty Friday morning to three counts of DUI causing death. She will be sentenced on April 5.

Brown entered the plea during a hearing in Cabell County Circuit Court. Her trial was supposed to start in March.

The crash occurred April 2, 2009 on Alternate Route 10 in the Barboursville area.

Investigators say Brown crossed the center line and hit the car driven by 47-year-old Carole Crawford. Crawford, her daughter Meaghan, 16, and Kelsey Kuhn, 15, died in the crash after their car caught fire.

Erma Brown's trial was scheduled to start Monday in Cabell County Circuit Court , but Judge Dan O’Hanlon postponed it until March 15.

Brown is charged with three counts of driving under the influence causing death.

Erma Brown's trial was scheduled to start Monday in Cabell County Circuit Court , but Judge Dan O’Hanlon postponed it until March 15.

Brown is charged with three counts of driving under the influence causing death.

Judge Dan O’Hanlon set Erma Brown's trial for December 7 in Cabell County Circuit Court.

Brown is charged with three counts of driving under the influence causing death.

Brown remains in the Western Regional Jail.

During the brief hearing, there was no discussion of a motion to transfer Brown to an in-patient long term treatment rehab clinic.

Erma Brown faces three counts of driving under the influence causing death.

The crash occurred April 2 on Alternate Route 10 in the Barboursville area.

Investigators say Brown crossed the center line and hit the car driven by 47-year-old Carole Crawford. Crawford, her daughter Meaghan, 16, and Kelsey Kuhn, 15, died in the crash after their car caught fire.

During Thursday’s hearing, Brown’s attorney asked that his client be granted home confinement until her trial because she is better and no longer on prescription drugs.

Judge Dan O’Hanlon denied the motion, but did say he might entertain a similar motion in the future if they can find a good in-patient long term treatment rehab clinic.

Brown will remain the Western Regional Jail.

Her next court appearance is set for September 4.

No word on a new trial date. The original date was Monday, August 17.

If convicted, Brown faces one to five years in prison on each count

Investigators say Erma Brown caused the crash. She was the woman driving an SUV that crashed into a car carrying Carole Crawford, her daughter, Meaghan, and her friend, Kelsey Kuhn. Cabell County Sheriff Tom McComas said Brown was under the influence of a lot of prescription drugs.

Brown was quiet -- almost stoic -- as sheriff's deputies walked her into the Cabell County Courthouse. She faces three counts of driving under the influence causing death. The crash occurred April 2 on Alternate Route 10 in the Barboursville area.

“One of the things that took so long (is) no local lab could provide us quantitative levels of the drugs in her system," McComas said. "I personally sent one of my deputies to Philadelphia to drop specimens off at the lab."

Three drugs were found in Brown's system. The first two are more commonly known as Remeron -- used to treat depression and Klonopin -- a drug for panic and seizure disorders that's known to cause depression. Drug information for Klonopin shows a long list of potential side effects, indicating it should not be used while operating heavy machinery or driving.

“Not guilty,” Brown responded to the charges.

She was arraigned in Cabell County Circuit Court Tuesday afternoon, which didn't come as much comfort for the family of the victims.

“It's very tragic for the family," McComas said. "Not really closure, just the beginning of this process. The family is thankful for compassion of the community. We're just happy to make things a little easier for them to bear."

Here at WSAZ, we received a return phone call from the Crawford family. Chris Crawford, Meaghan’s brother and Carole's son, said he and his dad appreciate the prayers and support from the community and trust the sheriff's department and prosecutor's office to handle the case properly. As for his thoughts on Erma Brown, Chris said their grieving process does not include giving her any thought or consideration.

Each of the three counts against Brown are punishable by one to five years in prison. The trial is set for Aug. 15.

The Cabell County Grand Jury returned the indictment Tuesday morning, charging 42-year-old Erma Brown of Barboursville with three counts of driving under the influence causing death. Click on the document link above to read the full indictment.

The indictment alleges that Brown had several prescription drugs in her system at the time she was involved in the accident, including anti-depressant called Mirtazapine, Clonazepam and 7-Amino-Clonazepam.

Investigators say Brown crossed the center line and was clearly in oncoming traffic when she hit the car driven by 47-year-old Carole Crawford. Crawford, her daughter Meaghan, 16, and Kelsey Kuhn, 15, died in the crash after their car caught fire.

Carole worked at Marshall University's Newman Center. Meaghan and Kelsey were both students at St. Joseph High School in Huntington.

The 2-vehicle accident happened at about 7:30 a.m. on April 2 on Alternate Route 10 near the intersection of Eden’s Branch Road in Barboursville.

Brown was arraigned at 1 p.m. in Cabell County Circuit Court. She pleaded not guilty to all the charges .

According to WebMD.com, a medical website, here is information on each of the prescription drugs Brown allegedly had in her system:

Mirtazapine is used to treat depression. It improves mood and feelings of well-being. Mirtazapine is an antidepressant that works by restoring the balance of natural chemicals (neurotransmitters) in the brain.

This drug may make you dizzy or drowsy; use caution engaging in activities requiring alertness such as driving or using machinery. Limit alcoholic beverages and ask your doctor about the safe use of alcohol.

Clonazepam is used to treat seizure disorders and panic attacks. It belongs to a class of medications called benzodiazepines which act on the brain and nerves (central nervous system) to produce a calming effect. This drug works by enhancing the effects of a certain natural chemical in the body (GABA).

This drug may make you dizzy or drowsy; use caution engaging in activities requiring alertness such as driving or using machinery. Avoid alcoholic beverages.

WSAZ has a crew at the courthouse. Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for more information.