By SANCHESKA DORSETT
Tribune Staff Reporter
sdorsett@tribunemedia.net
A two-year-old girl is dead after she was thrown in a traffic accident from the car her mother was driving Saturday afternoon.
The tragic accident took place shortly after 6pm on John F Kennedy Drive.
Office-in-Charge of the Traffic Division, Assistant Superintendent Craig Stubbs said two vehicles, which were travelling west on JFK Drive, “somehow made impact” causing the toddler, who was not wearing a seat belt or strapped to a car seat, to be thrown from the front windshield on impact.
“Shortly after 6pm, two vehicles, one a black Nissan Teana driven by a woman and the other, a dark gray Mazda vehicle driven by a male, collided with each other while travelling west on JFK drive,” ASP Stubbs said.
“The woman lost control of her vehicle and it overturned on the eastbound lane. The vehicle overturned onto its roof, after flipping over three times, and the two-year-old girl was fully ejected. The child was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman was transported to hospital where she is detained in serious condition. The male driver in the other vehicle was not injured.”
ASP Stubbs urged members of the public when travelling with children to ensure they are “buckled up at all times.”
“There were no signs that the child was strapped into the car, there was a car seat but it was not utilised at the time of the accident,” ASP Stubbs said.
“The car flipped over three times. We are still not sure how the accident happened. For some reason, the cars made an impact while travelling in the same direction, which caused the woman’s vehicle to flip over. It crossed the median and ended up on the eastbound lane, unfortunately the child died on the scene. We just want to encourage parents, if you are travelling with kids under the age of five, even if you are going a short distance to have them in a car seat or strapped in the back seat of the car. Failure to do this will result in what we saw on Saturday. So often we see parents driving with kids standing up in the vehicle or playing in the front seat, with no car seat or seat belt, but we are clamping down on these persons.”
Investigations continue.
Comments
Economist 6 years, 9 months ago
Was everyone buckled up? How and why was the life of an innocent two year old lost?
B_I_D___ 6 years, 9 months ago
99% sure no child seat...or child seat not secured properly...it's the Bahamian way...very sad.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 9 months ago
It is a shame when infants and young children die because of the actions of adults ....... driving, fires, poison, beaching, abusive relationships etc ........... Not knocking the specific situation here ..... R.I.P.
SP 6 years, 9 months ago
The ejecting of the two-year-old girl from the car is a clear indication that the child was not properly and legally secured in a child car seat.
I am constantly bemused when I see these lousy "parents" driving around daily with their children standing and playing unsecured in seats. Now we have an innocent child who's' life has been needlessly snuffed away because of the stupidity and irresponsibility's of a so-called "parent".
People like these do not deserve to have children.
I have absolutely no sympathy for this woman.The pain and lifelong mental anguish she will suffer due to her own stupid negligence in causing the death of her child is well deserved!
The innocent always suffer for the guilty, ignorant, stupid and the dumb! RIP dear child.
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 9 months ago
Don't think it's an uncaring mother, just someone who hasn't absorbed the message that you need to buckle up every time you get in the car. Some people are still smoking, and around their children too, just as deadly potentially. Some 20 years ago a car stopped suddenly in front of me and I caught my 4 year old nephew as he flew between the two front seats, I had him by the back of his tshirt and it scared the living daylights out of me. This mother could be where I was back then, we don't know. I'm not gonna judge her, I don't want to know "how" or "why", I don't need a personal lesson from the universe to understand it, I just sympathize with her. Two years taking care of a child and she's just gone...
alfalfa 6 years, 9 months ago
It is a terrible loss for the mother and family of this child, and I express my condolences. This airport highway has become an eighty mile per hour race track, and reckless drivers, including trucks, and public service vehicles, weave in and out of lanes as if they have lost their minds. Unfortunately, more incidents like this are bound to occur, and it would be wise (and profitable for the government), if police were to set up speed traps along this corridor. Not knowing the all the facts (other than what is published here and on social media), it is heartless to condemn any person, especially those suffering immense grief, for this tragedy. Compassion, not criticism, is in order, as a child's life has been lost; no matter the reason.
Sickened 6 years, 9 months ago
I disagree. If slow cars (i.e. under 40mph) would stay to the left then the people who drive faster can use the right lane. This is common curtesy in more civilized countries. Problem here is that there are far too many people driving who should not have licenses because they are: mentally too slow to react to a situation, and; too lazy to check their mirrors and blind spots. Then you have the punks who drive slow on purpose because they have a weapon in their car and are looking for mischief. Too many in our society are incapable of higher reasoning. A good transit system will get these slugs off of our roads.
tell_it_like_it_is 6 years, 9 months ago
Alfalfa you're right, unless you were there to know the reason for this tragedy only condolences are appropriate now. My condolences to the family.
DDK 6 years, 9 months ago
However, the child should have been buckled in. There is no way around that.
Porcupine 6 years, 9 months ago
You are sick, not sickened.
alfalfa 6 years, 9 months ago
Sickened, I drive this road everyday, and the speed limit is 45mph. Doing this speed in the left lane I am passed by vehicles in the right lane at speeds fast enough to make my pickup truck drift. It is insane how they pass and then cut across the lane only to cut back across after each car they overtake. Your final comment about an "uncaring mother" and" the kid is better off dead" is heartless, thoughtless,and uncalled for, no matter which way you present it.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 9 months ago
The sad reality is that probably HALF of all Bahamian adults who give life to offspring are not capable of rearing those children to responsible adulthood ...... that is why we have so much social dysfunction in our country
You may be "sick" by Sickened .......... but the comment is not totally heartless
Sickened 6 years, 9 months ago
Did you or Porcupine 'Suggest Removal' of my comment? Did my comment hit home some how? I have two children who I had to force to wear seatbelts when they were young. I had to pull on the side of the road many times when they cried and screamed that the seat belt was uncomfortable and unbuckled it. Pissed me right off that they couldn't think intelligently for themselves - even though they were kids. Now they remind me to put on a seat belt even before I reverse out of the drive way. When I see children without seat belts on in other cars I pass I would yell at the parents. Now I just tell my kids "See that girls - those parents don't love their children".
sheeprunner12 6 years, 9 months ago
No, Sickened .......... I am not that petty ......... Just putting in my 2cents
Sickened 6 years, 9 months ago
Sorry sheeprunner12, my question was to alfalfa.
alfalfa 6 years, 9 months ago
Sickened. If you are arguing the point about children wearing seat belts, or infants not being properly secured in car seats that is fine. I support that. I do not support you telling the country, and your two girls, that a child is better off dead. No matter the reason. I was surprised they let your uncaring comments stay on press at all. No one had to tell anyone to remove them. They were disgraceful. I hope you never have to experience tragedy like this family did. And I also sincerely hope that you never have to read the comments about your family that you posted about this poor child.
Sickened 6 years, 9 months ago
I'm sure I won't as I do everything in my power to protect my children and any child riding in my car. I love my children and I make sure that they are buckled up EVERY TIME.
This uncaring mother will have to live with this for the rest of her life. I hope that she becomes a spokesperson for wearing seat belts. This may be the only way she can lesson the incredible hurt in her heart and the guilt in her mind.
baldbeardedbahamian 6 years, 9 months ago
WHOEVER WAS DRIVING THIS VEHICLE HAS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SENSELESS LOSS OF AN INNOCENT LIFE. THE DRIVER SHOULD BE PROSECEUTED FOR MANSLAUGHTER. A JAIL SENTENCE NIGHT ENCOURAGE THE OTHER STUPID PEOPLE OUT THERE TO CORRECTLY SECURE CHILDREN BEING CARRIED IN THEIRCARS.
alfalfa 6 years, 9 months ago
Once again, we are passing judgement without knowing the facts. There were two vehicles involved in the accident. The police have not advised who was at fault, nor confirmed that the child was not restrained by safety belts, or a car seat. I prefer to let the facts speak when then are known, and in the mean time, express sympathy to the mother and family of the young girl. If the mother was negligent, loosing her child is more than enough punishment for her negligence. But we do not know that yet.
Sickened 6 years, 9 months ago
“There were no signs that the child was strapped into the car, there was a car seat but it was not utilised at the time of the accident,” ASP Stubbs said.
The story was updated yesterday since you last read it.
Tears come to my eyes with the thought of the police/medics having to pick a dead child up off the road because of a lack of concern by an adult (a parent, PARENT, no less).
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