Child dead after Houston red-light runner causes serious car crash

A northwest Houston accident has left a 2-year old boy dead in a tragic crash that emphasizes the importance of child safety seats.

The accident happened when a white Mercury Grand Marquis traveling north on Antoine Drive ran a red light and crashed into a green Chevrolet C1500 pickup truck that was headed east on a Northwest Freeway feeder road.

A 2-year old boy in the Mercury was injured in the crash as he was not strapped into a child safety seat.  He was taken to Texas Children’s Hospital and was later pronounced dead.  Three other people were also taken to the hospital to be treated for crash-related injuries.

Police are investigating why the child was riding in the Mercury without being properly secured, as required by law.  This summer the Texas child safety and booster seat laws changed, which confused some parents.  However, even under the old law a 2 year old should have been secured in an age-appropriate child safety seat.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), child safety seats cut down on the risk of death by 54 percent for toddlers aged one to four years.  The risk reduction is even more pronounced for babies, who are 71 percent less likely to die in a crash if properly secured in a child safety seat.

Please see our law library articles “Is your child really ready for an adult seat belt?” and “What you need to know about the new Texas child safety seat laws” for more information.