Josette Williams: 6-month-old struggling to breathe dies after crash in Chicago, parents left injured
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: A 6-month-old girl was pronounced dead and her parents were left injured following a car crash. Responding investigators arrived at the scene, transporting the child to the hospital where she was declared dead.
The parents of the child are currently receiving medical attention for non-life-threatening injuries. Additionally, investigators obtained a statement from one of the victims, who provided details about the events leading up to the car crash.
Black Chevy SUV collides with White Ford SUV on South Side of Chicago
Chicago authorities are currently investigating the tragic death of a six-month-old girl after a crash on the South Side of Chicago on Friday, December 29. The incident occurred around 9.42 pm in the 6300 block of South Cottage Grove in Woodlawn.
Information from the surveillance video contradicted the incident report shared by the Chicago Police Department, per ABC7.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified her as Josette Williams, per the Chicago Tribune.
Based on surveillance footage, it is evident that a white Chevy SUV was adhering to traffic regulations, proceeding while the signal was green, contrary to the police report stating that a Chevy ran a red light.
The video shows that a black Ford SUV was the one that ran a red light, colliding with the front of the Chevy. This impact caused the white car to strike a light post, resulting in the emission of fog-like smoke from the vehicle.
The baby girl was inside the Ford SUV and was being driven by her parents to a hospital due to breathing difficulties.
Surveillance footage suggested the black Ford SUV may have run a red light, contradicting the initial information.
The child was taken to Comer Children's Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. However, it remains unclear if the accident directly caused her death, according to police.
Moreover, per the Chicago Tribune, an autopsy performed on Saturday was inconclusive. Therefore, the cause of death of the baby is still pending investigation, according to the medical examiner’s office.
What did the victim say?
The Chicago Fire Department transported a man and a woman from the Ford to the University of Chicago Hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
According to detectives, another man and woman left the scene on foot before the police arrived and did not stay to provide assistance to the adults and the baby inside the other vehicle.
A community activist, Andrew Holmes, claimed, "The most disturbing part is when people don't render aid and they take off."
He added, "Sometimes that shows, what are you hiding? What are you afraid of? We don't know if the car was stolen or not."
The surveillance footage also suggests that the individuals from the white Chevy SUV departed from the scene.
Additionally, other vehicles near the incident incurred damage during the initial collision.
One of the victims in the damaged car claimed, "The impact, it hit so hard to where I seen it, I tried to swerve over and get out of the way. The black truck still ended up side swiping my car."
Josette Williams' mother, Joberta Williams, started a GoFundMe page following the tragic death of her 6-month-old daughter. According to the information given on the page, her family “cannot pay the expenses for a funeral.”
