This is a sad story about a mother who may be held responsible for her child's death because of her the infant's car seat was improperly installed. She may be charged with vehicular homicide. Also the mother caused the crash, another extenuating circumstance.The 3-month old daughter never recovered from head injuries sustained in the 2006 collision and died 10 months later. If the 23 year old mother is prosecuted, investigators say it could be the first time in Washington that a parent is held accountable for the death of a child stemming from an improperly secured car seat.
The accident: The mother was driving her 2001 Honda Accord and had her three young daughters in the car. She caused a 3-car accident by running into the back of a minivan stopped in traffic. Chloe, the 3-month old was riding in a loosely installed rear-facing car seat in the front passenger seat.
The car's airbags deployed, which - combined with the impact of the crash - caused the baby's injuries.
According to child safety seat laws, a parent is supposed to put a child in the back seat whenever possible.
The mother was cited with negligent driving and improper restraint of her children in April 2006. Police said that the 2-year old was in the back seat in a car seat, apparently unsecured, and the 3-year old who should have been in a car seat, was instead wearing a seat belt.
The 3-month old baby's car seat was secured with just a lap belt. She died 11 months later due to respiratory failure/arrest due directly to the severe closed head injury she received as a result of the collision.
Source: http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=12545
