Infant killed in traffic accident

By Matthew Penix
St. Tammany News
Published on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 9:40 AM CST



An infant boy, not harnessed in a child restraint, died Sunday north of Folsom after being tossed from a spinning vehicle, State Police said.

Malcoa Perez, 14 months old, was pronounced dead at St. Tammany Parish Hospital shortly after at the 3:21 p.m. accident on Louisiana Highway 25, just south of Louisiana Highway 450, Senior Trooper Louis Calato, State Police Troop L spokesman, said.

The fatal accident, the second in the area this year in which one or more infants died after being ejected, started when the boy’s mother, Christina Perez, 22, of Covington, veered off the roadway while in a left curve.

Perez, driving a 2005 Saturn Vue southbound, overcorrected and spun out of control and into a tailspin.

She headed into oncoming northbound traffic.

A collision was unavoidable, Calato said.

Gary Williams, 63, of Clinton, plowed his Chrysler 300 into the passenger side of the Saturn. The impact ejected the boy, who was in his child seat but not restrained, Calato said.

“Anytime life is lost it’s something we never want to see,” Calato said. “But to see a baby, it takes away all words. This baby hasn’t even had the chance to live its life. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.”

Perez remained in serious condition Monday at Lakeview Regional Medical Center, Calato said. Williams was transported to St. Tammany Parish Hospital for moderate injuries.

Alcohol use is not believed to be a factor in the accident.

As of Monday, Perez was charged with careless operation of a motor vehicle. State Police and the St. Tammany Parish District Attorney’s office are discussing other possible charges, such as vehicular homicide, Calato said.

Earlier this year, in Tangipahoa Parish on Interstate 12 just outside of St. Tammany, a 1-and 2-year-old died when ejected during a major traffic accident, Calato said.

On Monday, he preached again, like he did after that accident, the importance of wearing a seatbelt.

“We preach it over and over. This is the reason,” he said. “It takes 30 seconds, a minute, for us. But children affect us a little different. A child doesn’t have a say so.”


Comments

13 comment(s)

    jodee433 wrote on Dec 25, 2008 1:35 AM:

    " As a mother who lost an 11 year old from a massive heart attack 20 years ago,I still blame myself.I feel like I should have known he was sick.I agree she will have to live with this the rest of her life.Believe me when I say she will punish her ownself,she knows what she did wrong.I am Praying for her and the family.Jail is not the answer. "

    disagree wrote on Dec 24, 2008 2:34 PM:

    " I never said she should serve jail time. Her failiing to ensure this child was prperly buckled in has caused the lose of a childs life. I believe she should be senteced to community services, seminars, public appearences and other events that she could possibly save the lives of other children because of her mistakes. That is what needs to be done to bring justice to this case. "

    Jessica wrote on Dec 23, 2008 7:55 PM:

    " Unfortunately she has probably not learned her lesson. I understand that she is a greiving mother, but a child has still lost their life for no good reason. Would you not want someone charged that killed their child while driving drunk because they were greiving? Negligence it negligence...unfortunately it took a helpless child's life. "

    Mommy of 2 wrote on Dec 23, 2008 5:18 PM:

    " This is such a tragic story this poor little boy...It takes a couple seconds to buckle your kids in people need to start doing it...
    Whats the need for jail she will live with this guilt FOREVER! "

    RM wrote on Dec 23, 2008 7:50 AM:

    " She may not be grieving if she would have been responsible and buckled her child up. If she did want to wear a seat belt fine, she is old enough to make her own decision; however, that beautiful baby didn't get the choice. The reponses are pretty typical of today's society, blame those that are doing there job as a response to this lady's action rather the blames the lady! "

    stacey wrote on Dec 23, 2008 12:28 AM:

    " Why do you think that the law has to give fines or safety checks? Its your responsibility as a parent to keep your children safe!!!! So now all we can do is pray for the baby and for whatever becomes of the mother. "

    nicole wrote on Dec 20, 2008 5:47 PM:

    " i agree that children should be buckled up correctly, but somehow prison doesn't seem right,,, i was 15 yrs old before i ever used a seatbelt and it was when i started driving, my parents never used carseats and seatbelts when we were kids,, ????.... it's an unfortunate accident, pray for the baby and his mother and their family. "

    Madonna wrote on Dec 20, 2008 11:46 AM:

    " R.SIDE wrote on Dec 17, 2008 11:01 AM:
    I agree 100% with this person:

    " Charging this greiving mother is not the right course of action. Conducting seat belt checks and issuing large painful fines, or suspensions to those who do not have thier child buckled in correctly is. This woman's life has been changed forever. Pursuit of criminal charges should be focused on real criminals, not greieving parents."

    We do not know why the baby was not seat belted in-only the mother does. No individual is perfect - Only GOD is. "

    MOM wrote on Dec 19, 2008 4:17 PM:

    " Why not charge the mother? She is the adult and knows the laws. Why put the baby in the seat and not buckle it up? That does not make since to me. Rather she was buckle up or not that was her decision but the child didnt have one!Charge the mother maybe more parents will buckle up their children. I have four teenagers since they were newborns they were always in a carseat or seatbelt. They know the car dont move until the seatbelt is on! "

    disagree wrote on Dec 18, 2008 8:04 PM:

    " Kiling another human being in gros negligence is hurtful in all ways. either way the lose is the cause of negligence. and someone needs to be responsible for those actions. And they would do more check points if they werent handing fatal accidents due to peoples negligence. "

    GC wrote on Dec 18, 2008 2:56 PM:

    " I agree that charging this mother with homicide will not prove or help anything at all. This woman has to endure something much worse than imprisonment... the death of her child. Making her go to jail isn't anywhere close to being as bad as losing a child. What would we be proving? Maybe we'd be "teaching her a lesson". BUT.... don't u think she's learned her lesson???? "

    spp wrote on Dec 17, 2008 5:52 PM:

    " It is the law. She has to protect her child. And being in a child safety seat BUCKLE up is protecting her child.
    She endangered her child. Did she have her seat belt on????? "

    R.SIDE wrote on Dec 17, 2008 11:01 AM:

    " Charging this greiving mother is not the right course of action. Conducting seat belt checks and issuing large painful fines, or suspensions to those who do not have thier child buckled in correctly is. This woman's life has been changed forever. Pursuit of criminal charges should be focused on real criminals, not greieving parents. "

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