Kentucky Injury Law Blog

A very tragic Kentucky car accident claimed the life of a nine-month-old infant on Saturday in Carroll County. Two teens and one adult were in a car with the infant. The driver was only 17 years old. According to the Kentucky State Police, the teen driver ran off the road at a curve and hit a tree. The infant was killed and the other two passengers were taken by helicopter to University Hospital in Louisville with very serious injuries. The driver was not injured.

There are so many factors that could have prevented this horrible accident. First, the driver of the car had no driver’s license or insurance, so he should have never been behind the wheel of a car in the first place. Second, he was drunk when the accident occurred, which is doubly concerning since the crash happened at 9:15 in the morning. Third, the only person allegedly wearing a seatbelt was the driver. No one else, including the infant, was properly restrained in the car.

Needless to say, all of these young lives have been changed forever. If the passengers survive, the one who was the mother of the infant will have to live with the fact that she got in a car with a drunk driver and did not put her infant in a car seat. The other passenger may likely have lifelong issues from his injuries because he decided to ride with an unlicensed drunk driver. The driver of the car faces a laundry list of charges including driving without a license, driving under the influence, wanton endangerment and manslaughter. Even though he is only 17, he may be tried as an adult, which makes all of the charges more serious with stiffer penalties.

Even though all of the people involved made bad choices, one can’t help but feel bad for what they and their families have gone through already and what they will continue to go through in the upcoming days and months. If you have teenage children, please remind them of the dangers of riding with an inexperienced or intoxicated driver. As seen in the above accident, a combination of the two can be deadly. And reiterate the importance of wearing a seatbelt, even it isn’t cool and no one else is wearing theirs. It could save their lives.