State police are still investigating a serious car crash that sent four individuals to the hospital with varied injuries, according to local law enforcement. New Mexico police are piecing together the two-car accident that injured several children. Police have indicated that charges are pending once the investigation is complete.
According to preliminary reports, an SUV driven by a 32-year-old local woman was driving south on U.S. Highway 84 when a sedan traveling the other direction suddenly made an impromptu U-turn directly into the path of the first vehicle. The SUV T-boned the sedan, injuring the 25-year-old driver and her two passengers, both children. The driver and an 8-year-old were transported to the hospital by ambulance, while a 5-year-old was airlifted as arriving medical personnel feared she had suffered head injuries.
The driver of the SUV was also taken to the hospital with unknown injuries. Police have not speculated as to whether intoxication is a suspected factor in this crash, but it has been confirmed that none of the children in the sedan were restrained either by child seats or seat belts. Charges are likely to be filed once the full investigation has wrapped up.
This car accident seems fairly clear-cut in terms of where culpability will lie. There is a probability that New Mexico police will find the driver of the sedan responsible for precipitating the accident, in which case she may face criminal charges related to careless driving as well as a failure to properly restrain her child passengers. The injured driver of the SUV may wish to file a personal injury suit against the other driver and could be aided in that endeavor should it be proved that the other driver was criminally liable for the accident.
Source: riograndesun, Crash Sends Four to Hospital, No author, Nov. 22, 2013