Report: Woman who drove into ocean with her children going home

Ebony Wilkerson must continue treatment in South Carolina

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Five years after a pregnant Ebony Wilkerson drove into the ocean with her children in Daytona Beach, she will go home to her family in South Carolina, reports the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

During a hearing Thursday, Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano allowed Wilkerson to leave Florida on conditional release, reports the News-Journal. She has been in transitional housing in Daytona Beach since 2017.

Wilkerson drove her minivan into the Atlantic Ocean in March 2014 with her three children -- then ages 3, 9 and 10 -- inside. She was 28-weeks pregnant at the time and later gave birth to a healthy baby.

The children were not seriously injured in the incident and were rescued by beach officials and onlookers.

In May 2018, a judge denied Wilkerson's request to have unsupervised visits with her children and husband. Wilkerson has previously said her husband was abusive and she was trying to get away from him, which was one of the reasons her request for unsupervised visits with him was denied.

"I've never tried to harm my kids, never tried to hurt myself," Wilkerson told News 6 last year. "I just had a breakdown when I was following things and ended up on a beach, that's a drive on (the) beach."

As part of her release, Wilkerson must continue seeing a mental health counselor, take injectable psychotropic drugs and be supervised whenever she is alone with her children, according to the conditional release plan obtained by News 6.

The family will also participate family therapy in South Carolina, according to the plan.

At any time if Wilkerson is found to be presenting an immediate threat to herself or others she will be transferred back to the Volusia County Jail.


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