| id | cleanReleaseDate | troopName | title |
| 763 | 2010-07-25 | Troop A | Unrestrained Child Killed in Single-Vehicle Crash |
| LOUISIANA STATE POLICE COURTESY LOYALTY SERVICE Colonel Michael D. Edmonson, Superintendent TROOP A - NEWS RELEASE
Unrestrained Child Killed in Single-Vehicle Crash Zachary – A young child riding unrestrained in a small car with her mother was killed yesterday during a rollover crash in East Feliciana Parish. The crash occurred on LA 964 near US 61 early yesterday morning. Preliminary investigation has shown that Jamet Kato (B/F, age 29) of Baton Rouge was driving a 2000 Toyota Corolla west on LA 964 when she ran off the road to the right and into a wooded area. The vehicle was rotating counter-clockwise when it became airborne and began to travel backwards. The left rear corner struck a mound of dirt and flipped end over end, coming to rest on its roof. Kato and her front seat passenger, a 12-year-old female, were the only two occupants who were restrained when the crash occurred. None of the four small children riding in the back seat (ages 9, 6, 5, and 2) were restrained when the crash occurred. Two of the four unrestrained children were ejected from the vehicle, a 9-year-old female and a 6-year-old female. The 9-year-old female, Tobiya Kato, of Baton Rouge sustained fatal injuries in the crash and was pronounced deceased by the East Feliciana Coroner’s Office on the scene. The four children riding unrestrained in the rear seat were also riding along with a 36” flat screen television. The only two occupants in the vehicle who were properly restrained sustained minor to moderate injuries. The three unrestrained children who were not killed in the crash sustained serious injuries and remain in the hospital. All the vehicle’s occupants were transported to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital by Acadian Ambulance. Troopers have charged Kato with Careless Operation, Failure to Maintain Automobile Insurance, and four counts of Failure to Properly Restrain Children. The crash remains under investigation and additional charges may be forthcoming. Louisiana State Law requires the driver of a motor vehicle to ensure that EVERY child under the age of thirteen years in a motor vehicle equipped with safety belts is properly secured, regardless of seating position, in the vehicle. Until a child is six years old AND weighs at least sixty pounds, that child is required by law to be restrained in a proper child restraint system. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading killer of children in the United States. Many injuries and deaths can be prevented by properly using car seats. It is the responsibility of every parent and caregiver to ensure that the children under their care are as safe as can possibly be at all times. While riding in a motor vehicle, the only way to do this is to ensure the child is properly restrained in a child restraint system. Louisiana State Police Troop A serves as a grant-funded Child Passenger Safety fitting station every Thursday from 9:00 am until 3:30 pm. Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians are available to inspect and to assist with installation of child safety seats. More information regarding child passenger safety can be found at http://www.lahighwaysafety.org/child.html BUCKLE UP!!! SEAT BELTS SAVE LIVES!!! Contact Information: TFC Russell G. Graham II Public Affairs Unit Louisiana State Police – Troop A Office: (225) 754-8524 russell.graham@dps.la.gov www.LSP.org | |||
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