An 18-month-old baby boy was killed in a one-car accident on State Route 42 outside of Elk Garden, West Virginia, according to the Cumberland Times News. While the child seemed to be correctly secured in a booster seat behind the passenger seat, West Virginia Police are still investigating the accident to make certain that no laws were broken in connection with the fatal crash.
The accident took place on Wednesday morning just before noon when the car’s driver, 26-year-old Joseph Scott Ervin lost control of his vehicle while negotiating a turn. When the car began to leave the roadway, Ervin overcorrected the car and it veered off the other side of the roadway and struck two trees.
Both the driver and the front seat passenger, 50-year-old Mischele Schwinabart of Mount Storm, were taken to local hospital with serious injuries, though one of the accident victims was taken via medical helicopter. The young boy was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.
Authorities report that the child was in a child safety seat and secured properly at the time of the crash. However, further investigation will look into the cause of the crash in regards to possible intoxication, reckless driving, and speeding.