Baby not in car seat falls out door, dies after being hit by another vehicle in Irving
As a sedan driven by her mother turned at an Irving intersection on Sunday, a door opened and an 8-month-old girl fell from the right passenger side and was struck and killed by another car, police said.
The infant was hit about 10:30 a.m. at North MacArthur Boulevard and Ranchview Drive by what Irving police said was possibly a black sedan. Its driver continued without stopping. Police do not believe the driver of the vehicle knew he or she had hit the child, they said at a news conference Monday afternoon.
Police are asking anybody in the area of the accident around that time to come to the Irving police station to have their car checked. Police spokesman Robert Reeves said no charges will be filed against the driver who did not stop, so long as he or she did not realize what happened.
The circumstances of how the child fell from the car are under police investigation. The infant was not in a car seat.
There were four children in the vehicle and two child safety seats, neither of which were in use, police said at Monday’s news conference. The children were 6 years, 3 years, 2 years and 8 months old, police said.
Police did not know if the door was slightly ajar and opened when the car made a left turn or if the door was opened by one of the children inside. It is unclear if a child safety lock was in use during the time of the accident and if there was any possibility such a lock could have failed.
Police said Child Protective Services will also investigate and help determine if any charges should be filed against the mother.
Irving police asked anyone who witnessed the infant being struck, was in the area or has information on the case to call an investigator at 972-721-2561.
Reeves also asked anybody who needs help obtaining or learning the proper way to use a child safety seat to reach out to Irving police. If somebody cannot afford a seat, the department has programs to provide one. On Saturday, the department held a child safety seat event where parents were taught how to properly install the seats and secure their children in them and, because of the demand for that event, may be hosting more in the near future.
This story was originally published November 14, 2021 at 8:35 PM.
