A tragic crash on Mother’s Day has left a Texas family shattered, after a three-year-old girl died and her mum and sister were badly injured in a horrific collision that police say was caused by a drunk driver, reported Fox 26.
It all happened just after 8 pm on Sunday, May 11, on the northbound side of I-45 in Conroe. According to police, a 26-year-old mum had pulled her Toyota Camry onto the shoulder of the motorway after getting a flat tyre. Her two young daughters, aged five and three, were with her in the car when things took a devastating turn.
A Honda Civic, reportedly travelling in the HOV lane, veered off and slammed straight into the back of the family’s car. Both vehicles caught fire, and by the time officers arrived, they were completely engulfed in flames.
First responders managed to pull the mother and her five-year-old out of the wreckage. Both were rushed to the hospital with severe burns and serious injuries. But heartbreakingly, the three-year-old girl – later identified by family as Camiria – didn’t survive. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The family hasn’t been officially named by police, but relatives have spoken out through a GoFundMe page, identifying the mother as Shavhon White and her older daughter as Chloe. Both are still in critical condition.
“As they navigate through this unimaginable heartbreak, we want to come together as a community to offer them the love, support, and resources they need,” the family wrote on the fundraiser, adding that the costs of medical care, funeral arrangements for Camiria, and the emotional trauma are far more than any family should have to face alone.
The driver of the Honda Civic, 55-year-old Donald Carson, was also taken to the hospital with injuries. After an initial investigation, police charged him with intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault. If convicted, he faces serious prison time. Police said once he’s discharged from the hospital, he’ll be booked into Montgomery County Jail.
Conroe Police Chief Jon Buckholtz spoke emotionally about the loss, saying, “This crash was entirely preventable and is an unimaginable loss to our community and most importantly this family.” He added, “We will never know the impact that this child may have had on the world: a life full of promise and potential.”
He also confirmed investigators are working closely with prosecutors to make sure “swift and strong justice is served.”