Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog
The loss of any life is tragic to say the least, but to lose an infant in a senseless automobile accident leaves a scar that rarely if ever heals. Unfortunately, here in Maryland every parent’s nightmare is just one bad decision away. Thoughtless drivers rarely consider the ultimate consequences of their actions, yet time and time again, people are injured or killed on our streets and highways due to someone’s negligence behind the wheel.
As Baltimore auto accident attorneys and injury lawyers, our office offers help to victims of these pointless traffic accidents. When a fatal single-vehicle accident occurs with a parent at the wheel the tragedy is all the more disturbing, such as the one that took place just last month in Prince George’s County. In that crash, a little 2-year-old child was killed in what local police believe was a combination of drinking, speeding and poor roadway conditions.
According to news reports the incident happened in mid-May on a Wednesday night in Landover, MD, when a two-door Chrysler Sebring, which was traveling on Brightseat Road, for some reason veered into the opposing lane, then sped into a nearby woods and struck a tree around 7:30pm. Police reports show that the impact literally split the vehicle in half.
The driver, 24-year-old Kiwana Baker-Jennings, and her two-year-old baby girl were the only passengers in the vehicle at the time of the accident. Based on police reports, the mother did not realize that her child had been ejected from the vehicle during the crash.
Police say the driver lost control of the vehicle near the intersection of Brightseat Road and Arena Drive. The victim, Kimyra Chante Brown, was thrown from the car and found several feet away in the woods. According to news reports, investigators were looking into whether or not the infant’s car seat had been properly secured into the vehicle. There was no mention of any investigation into the possibility of defective vehicle equipment.
The little girl and mother were taken to the hospital where the two-year-old was pronounced dead. The mother was treated for minor injuries and subsequently released. According to reports at the time of the crash, police said that charges were possible pending the conclusion of an investigation. A police spokesperson said that the department was not aware of a second vehicle that the driver’s sister claimed triggered the crash in the first place.
Police Eye Alcohol, Speed, Road Conditions in Fatal Crash, WJLA.com, May 13, 2010