The father of two young children who were thrown from a Jeep in a highway crash is likely to face criminal charges, authorities said Wednesday.
The accident happened Sunday on the I-10 East Freeway outside Houston, Texas. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez described the incident at the X as “two vehicles colliding and one of the vehicles rolled over several times and was thrown from the vehicle.”
Among those thrown from the overturned vehicle were a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old, according to the sheriff’s office. Video showed the two toddlers, wearing only diapers, stranded on the highway before being rescued.
An investigation revealed that neither child was in a car seat at the time of the accident.
“They were just sitting in the back seat of a vehicle, they weren’t tied down in anything,” said Deputy Thomas Gilliland with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
The two children were treated at a hospital in “serious but stable condition,” according to the sheriff’s office. The driver, the father, suffered minor injuries but was treated and released from the hospital.
Texas law requires that children under the age of 8 be restrained in a car seat. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 54% for children ages 1 to 4. In 2022, 39% of children killed in traffic crashes were not properly restrained.
No charges have been filed yet, but the sheriff’s office confirmed the incident is under investigation and suggested charges against the father “will likely be forthcoming.”
Brian Gallion and John Filippelli assisted.
