Police said Wednesday that the father of two toddlers who were thrown from a Jeep in a car accident is likely to be charged with a crime.
On Sunday, the accident happened on I-10 East, just outside of Houston. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez of Harris County said that the accident on X was “a two-car crash where one of the cars flipped over several times causing ejection.”
The sheriff’s office said that a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old were thrown from the flipped car. The two toddlers were stuck on the highway in diapers before they were saved, as seen on video.
It was found that neither child was in a car seat when the accident happened.
Sheriff’s Deputy Thomas Gilliland said, “They were just sitting in the back of the car and weren’t strapped to anything.”
From what the sheriff’s office can tell, both kids are still in “serious but stable condition” at the hospital to get better. The driver, their father, was treated for minor injuries and sent home.
Texas law says that kids younger than 8 must be in child safety seats at all times. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that child safety seats can cut the risk of death by 54% for kids ages 1 to 4. 39% of children killed in car accidents in 2022 were not properly restrained.
As of now, no charges have been brought against the father, but the sheriff’s office stated that the case is still being looked into and said that charges “will likely be filed soon.”