A father from Knox County, Tennessee, is now mourning the loss of his 2-year-old daughter from behind bars. He was driving the vehicle at the time of the violent crash in which his daughter sustained injuries that ultimately claimed her life. The 26-year-old man now faces charges of driving on a revoked license, driving without insurance and second-offense driving under the influence in connection with the accident that occurred on Friday. Upon the father’s release from the hospital on Monday, authorities took him into custody, where he remained as of Tuesday morning.
Arrest warrants indicate that the vehicle contained three occupants: the driver, his daughter and her mother. Authorities report that both parents admitted to drinking prior to the accident. The child rode in the backseat in a child restraint, but investigation of the crash demonstrated that the fastening between the restraint and the vehicle had allegedly been improper.
Records describe the driver of the vehicle allegedly swerving through traffic while traveling westward on Interstate 40 at reportedly extreme speeds. The vehicle then veered off the road and struck a stand of trees. The force of the impact ejected all three occupants from the vehicle. The injuries that the couple received were not life-threatening, but their daughter went to the hospital with critical injuries, where she later died.
Court records indicate that the driver previously faced DUI charges in 2016, for which the court convicted him. The Knox County District Attorney General’s office will receive the results of the ongoing investigation upon its completion and consider additional charges at that time.
The loss of a child is bad enough, but the additional prospect of prison time is even worse. Those facing charges for DUI or DWI may choose to discuss the case with an attorney.
