Mother Intentionally Crashes Car with Four Children Inside into Tree

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on October 18, 2019

Police working within Ocala are investigating a horrific car accident that took place early in October that involved a single car, four children, and a mother who believed she had been cursed by her husband. According to reports from the Ocala Police Department, the incident began sometime around 2:00 in the afternoon on Wednesday, October 2nd.

At this time, a 36-year-old woman was driving a Pontiac minivan down Southeast 31st Street. As well as the 36-year-old driver, four children were inside the vehicle. It is believed that all of the passengers were children of the driver and that they range in age from 7 to 13. It is not clear when the woman began driving with the children, and the reports did not indicate where they group began their journey. Much of what we know about what happened within the car was reported to the authorities by the children themselves.

At a certain point during the drive, the 36-year-old told all of the children to take off their seatbelts and to reach forwards with their hands. The driver then crashed the minivan into a palm tree. Before the impact, the children shouted for their mother to stop the car, but there is no indication from the crash site that the woman listened to the children.

There is also some evidence, based on marks on the woman’s neck, that she herself was belted in at the time of the crash.

Somehow, no one died as a result of the crash. The children did sustain injuries due to the impact, but none of them are believed to be life-threatening. When the first responders arrived, they took the kids via ambulance to UF Health Shands Hospital, located inside Gainesville. All of the children were listed as trauma alerts. It is not clear if the husband was contacted or who within the family was notified regarding the children’s location and condition. What we do know is that the driver told first responders her husband had placed a hex on her and that numerous cars were following her down the road. It is not entirely clear why the woman felt that crashing into the tree would make all of this go away.

When the 36-year-old driver is released from Ocala Regional Hospital, she will be taken from there directly to the Marion County Jail. It is not clear what steps the authorities hope to do in order to help the woman as well as keep the children safe.

Sources:

• ‘The devil can’t hurt you:’ Mother tries to kill kids by driving into tree, police say

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.