The 21-year-old woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in the dock of Tamworth District Court on Monday morning on nine charges.

The court was told negotiations were ongoing between the woman’s defence team and prosecutors in relation to a plea to some of the charges.

Judge Jeffrey McLennan consented to an adjournment for two days for plea or mention to fix another trial date.

The woman, who lives in Aberdeen, made no application for bail during the proceedings and it was formally refused.

The woman has not entered pleas to the charges, which stem from a crash on the New England Highway, near Willow Tree, on August 17, 2015, but instead waived her right to a committal hearing in the local court earlier this year.

Crash investigators allege the woman was under the influence of methylamphetamine and cannabis and was the holder of a disqualified licence when she got behind the wheel of a Nissan Pulsar on the day of the crash.

The woman, who was on route from Gunnedah to the Hunter Valley, allegedly lost control of the sedan before the car left the road and crashed.

The impact of the crash claimed the life of a two-year-old girl, who police allege was seated in the front seat without a proper restraint.

A passerby who stopped to help discovered the body in a table drain.

The woman’s toddler son who was seated in the back of the sedan at the time of the crash was critically injured.

He suffered serious head injuries and was flown by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle. He has since been released.

Following expert examinations of the scene by crash investigators, the woman was charged by police from the Oxley Crash Investigation Unit in September, last year.

The 21-year-old is charged with dangerous driving occasioning death and grievous bodily harm while under the influence, dangerous driving occasioning death and grievous bodily harm while driving in a manner dangerous, negligent driving occasioning death and grievous bodily harm, driving while disqualified, driving under the influence and driving with a child under four who is not properly restrained.