Police in Prince George’s County are trying to figure out what caused a horrific accident that killed a 2-year-old child.
Officers say a woman was driving on Bright Seat Road in Largo Wednesday evening when she veered into the opposite lane, drove into the woods, and struck a tree. The impact of the crash was so strong it split the two-door Chrysler Sebring in half.
The woman was apparently unable to get to her child, who was thrown from the car. But she did manage to crawl out to the road to get help.
“The driver was actually crying out for a child that she had in the vehicle," Cpl. Mike Rodriquez told News4’s Jackie Bensen. “At the time the child could not be located. Apparently, the child was ejected from her child safety seat."
It's unclear how well she was strapped in to her child safety seat.
The woman was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
"We just celebrated her second birthday in April," said the girl's grandfather, Gregory Rosser. "She was loving, caring. She was just an angel, and God called her home, called her to glory. It's a tragedy what's happened, but we know she's home in a better place."
Police are now trying to determine how fast the woman was driving, and what may have caused her to veer off the road.
The speed limit on that particular section of Bright Seat Road is 30 mph, however News4 has learned that drivers have been known to travel much faster than that.
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"We're definitely looking at the speed being a major contributing factor, and also the possibility of alcohol, as well as the slick road conditions from yesterday's rain," said Prince George's County police Officer Henry Tippett.
