Fatal Crash Claims Life of 5-Month-Old Baby | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

A horrific car crash has claimed the life of a 5-month old baby girl, and has left her parents and 2-year-old sister seriously injured. The fatal accident occurred on I-264 in the westbound lanes, west of Rosemont Road in Virginia Beach, on Monday afternoon.

According to reports from law enforcement, the victims were traveling in a 2002 Nissan Sentra when the car broke down in the travel lane of the interstate. The vehicle was then slammed into by a 2008 Chevy Silverado, and the impact sent the Nissan spinning into an out-of-service HRT bus. That collision caused the Nissan to burst into flames.

As fire engulfed the vehicle, rescuers were able to pull the 2-year-old victim, her 31-year-old mother, and 28-year-old father from the wreckage. They were all taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Emergency responders were not able to rescue the infant, and she died in the fire. Her remains were taken to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Norfolk.

Members of the victims’ family have told media outlets that the toddler remains in serious condition. Her mother, LaTisha Pearl – who was driving the car at the time of the crash – also remains in serious condition, but doctors were able remove her breathing tube.

In this tragic series of collisions, there will be finger-pointing as to who were the at-fault drivers and we will not wade into that debate yet.  Our Virginia personal injury law firm has reported on many fatal crashes where distracted driving played a key role as the cause of the accident, however, it’s unclear exactly what transpired from the initial media reports. Whenever there are multi car collisions, sorting out the insurance issues and the respective liability of the parties requires careful legal analysis. Also, which insurance policies will apply in favor of which injured persons is also a secondary complicated issue.

If you have had a family member killed in a car crash caused by another driver, contact a skilled Virginia wrongful death attorney to find out what legal steps you may be able to take against that driver for your family’s pain and loss. Our dedicated attorneys have successfully represented many families of fatal crash victims.