Slaton Infant Dies in East Lubbock Car Crash
By: Lisa Carr
Updated: March 23, 2008
It happened around 7:30 Saturday night at the intersection of 66th St. and the E. Slaton Highway. Police say 22-year-old Ricardo Garcia was driving this white Pontiac Trans-AM northwest on the Slaton Hwy. when 24-year-old Gernisha Flowers failed to yield the right of way as she turned onto 66th St. The cars collided. The Trans-AM spun out of control and rolled at least one time. Police say Garcia's passengers, Juan Garcia and a 1-year-old girl, were ejected. They say the baby was on the man's lap instead of in a carseat. Experts say her chances of surviving would have been much greater if she had been properly restrained.
"They reduce the injury and death for infants by 71% and for toddlers by 54%," says Karen Slay a local child passenger safety expert. EMS Supervisor Alan Harrison adds, "A lot of the fatalities we get is from people being thrown out of cars. If you stay in the car your chance of survival is greater."
At last report the man ejected along with the baby was still in serious condition at Covenant.
The others involved in the wreck are recovering just fine. Witnesses on the scene say the Garcias were rushing to Lubbock from Slaton for some type of medical emergency so, that may be why they didn't take the time to put the baby in a carseat.
