Chicago Mother Charged in Crash That Killed 4-Year-Old

August 18, 2010 - A Chicago woman is facing serious charges after a multi-vehicle car accident that left her 4-year-old son dead. According to a report at CBS 2 Chicago, police say the 24-year-old mother was drunk when she crashed into another car, causing a chain reaction that involved 4 vehicles. The car accident occurred on Sunday morning when the woman ran a red light in her Dodge Avenger and rear-ended a car on Fullerton Avenue.

The mother appeared in a Cook County courtroom on Tuesday, where she was charged with felony aggravated DUI. She also received traffic citations for speeding, failure to use a child safety seat, driving without a license and driving without car insurance. Her blood alcohol content was .151, and she had several alcoholic beverages in her vehicle.

Police say the mother attempted to remove her children from the crashed vehicle and flee with them on foot, according to eyewitness testimonies. Her husband also tried to flee the scene. Her 4-year-old son later died at Children's Memorial Hospital, where the cause of death was trauma and a lacerated liver. Her 2-year-old son suffered personal injuries. The driver's bond was set at $350,000, and she is due back in court in early September.