A Massachusetts infant who was injured in a crash that killed her 5-year-old sister over the weekend passed away late Wednesday, Dec. 12.
The 2-month-old girl, Natasha Mejia-Rivera, was at Massachusetts General Hospital but doctors were unable to save her life, Suffolk District Attorney John Pappas announced.
“Our priority right now is supporting a family who lost the center of their world in the blink of an eye,” he told CBS.
Adrianna Mejia-Rivera, 5, the infant’s sister, was killed in the crash in Revere on Dec. 9.
According to a GoFundMe set up on behalf of the girls’ mother, the family is from El Salvador.
“These are the parent’s only two children. The parents’ last wish is to have their little girl buried in their country of El Salvador,” wrote Evelyn Muniz on behalf of Andrea Mejia.
Some of the family is living in the United States; it wasn’t clear whether both parents are.
A second GoFundMe set up for the family said that the parents are both young, though it didn’t state their ages.
“This is the worst nightmare for any parent, having to prepare a funeral for one daughter and praying their other daughter gets out of the coma. This page was created to help these two young parents during an extremely hard time, not only emotionally but financially,” wrote Dolores Debelas prior to the infant’s death.
The two fundraisers have garnered over $39,000.
Adrianna Mejia-Rivera, 5, was killed in Revere, Mass., on Dec. 9, 2018, after being struck by a car. (Adriana Michel Mejia/GoFundMe)“I just know they were joyful little girls, and they didn’t deserve this,” Leslie Villalobos, a relative, told WCVB.
“She was a happy little girl and loved playing with my daughter. They played a lot together,” added Mejia-Rivera’s uncle, Adelson Mejia, through a translator, reported WHDH. “This has impacted our family greatly.”
Massachusetts State Police said that Autumn Harris, 42, was driving an SUV and veered off Route 145, striking a group of five pedestrians that included the two young girls, a 2-year-old girl, and two women.
The other three people who were hit were treated for minor injuries.
Wendy Mendez said she was one of the women who was hit. “The three kids went flying,” she said through a translator. “We had to look for the 2-month-old baby. Her stroller was destroyed and she had come out of her baby seat.”
Driver Took Drugs
Police officers said that Harris took over-the-counter sleep medication on Saturday night and that she had only slept two hours before working the entire day on Sunday. She also said she drank one beer before driving, reported WCVB. And she told officers that she had vaped CBD oil, which is similar to marijuana, in the SUV and admitted she may have fallen asleep at the wheel.
Harris was arrested and charged with motor vehicle homicide and negligent operation of a motor vehicle and could face additional charges.
She was being held on $10,000 bail and her mother said that she would not be able to post the bail. She is due back in court on Jan. 10.
“I think a lot of hearts are broken, especially hers and I feel so bad for those children,” Harris’s mother said after the court hearing on Dec. 11, reported WHDH.
A passenger in her vehicle was also injured and received treatment at a hospital.
From NTD News
