Police: 4-Year-Old Died From Injuries Sustained In Airbag Deployment During Minor Crash
Jan 30, 2019, 5:28 PM | Updated: Jan 31, 2019, 12:23 am
SOUTH JORDAN, Utah – Police said a 4-year-old died Wednesday evening from injuries sustained by an airbag deployment in a small pile-up crash.
Lt. Matt Pennington said D’mondre Brown of Herriman was belted into the front passenger seat of the car his dad was driving along South Jordan Parkway near 3700 West, when the eastbound vehicle collided with the car in front of it, triggering the airbags.
“The four-and-a-half-year-old boy ended up dying at the hospital from those injuries,” Pennington said. “What is typically a minor rear-end accident has turned into a tragic incident.”
Pennington said the impact of an airbag can be significant.
“The airbag is coming out at approximately 200 miles-per-hour,” Pennington said. “Even though you may be going forward at 30, that’s a 230-mile-an-hour collision with your body.”
A second rear-end collision was triggered by the first, according to police.
SJPD is investigating a major accident with critical injuries at 3700 W. South Jordan Pkwy. South Jordan Pkwy. is closed between 4000 W. & Bangerter Hwy. If you are heading east and west please use 9800 S. or 11400 S. for the next few hours.
— South Jordan City (@SouthJordanUT) January 30, 2019
Pennington said a 7-year-old and 11-year-old were in the backseat of the same car in which the 4-year-old was fatally injured.
Nobody else suffered significant injuries in any of the cars, police said.
“I don’t know about you, but I can’t even imagine losing my child in an accident like this,” Pennington said.
Investigators said speed was not a factor in the crash and it was not believed Brown’s father was distracted by a phone.
Police in a news release posted to Facebook reminded drivers that children up to the age of 8 must be properly restrained in a car seat or booster seat, and that they recommend all children under the age of 13 be placed in the backseat.
“It truly looks like a tragic accident,” Pennington said. “I don’t have a better way to explain it. It is a tragic thing, and I can’t imagine what that father’s going through.”
