A single-vehicle crash in Clarksburg, West Virginia, took a turn deputies weren’t expecting Sunday. When they arrived at the scene, the driver was gone, but a child was still inside the white Chevrolet Malibu. The child was not hurt, but deputies say they weren’t wearing a seat belt, and the roof of the car had heavy damage near the passenger side.
Investigators say 31-year-old Sydni Healy ran into the woods after the crash. Deputies tracked her down nearby, where field sobriety tests showed signs of impairment. The child told deputies they had been looking at a phone when the crash happened. Healy now faces a child neglect charge and is being held in North Central Regional Jail on $50,000 bond. The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office said the case involved “showing no care for their welfare.”
This story touches on several things we talk about often here on the Suncoast: impaired driving, distraction behind the wheel, and the responsibility that comes with having a child in your vehicle. Whether you’re driving to Siesta Key, heading to a spring training game, or just running errands on Tamiami Trail, the rules don’t change. Seat belts on. Phone down. And if the worst happens, you stay with your passengers.
What do you think should happen in cases like this? Should fleeing a crash with a child in the car carry stiffer penalties? Let us know in the comments.
