Baby died in car crash after being ‘thrown from seat'

Telegraph

6 days ago

A seven-month-old boy died when he was thrown from a car seat that was allegedly 'not strapped in properly' during a collision.
Harry Kiely died from injuries sustained on July 13 in 2022, after his mother Morgan Kiely, then 19, had consumed rose wine during an afternoon at Clacton beach.
Chelmsford Crown Court heard that Ms Kiely and her friend Stevie Steel had been 'relaxing in the sunshine' and planned to drive and drop Harry at his grandmother's house before they went to a Wetherspoons pub.
A friend offered to take the women and Harry in his car but Ms Kiely and Ms Steel, both described as 'a bit tipsy', went on to drive themselves.
Ms Kiely, now 22, is accused of manslaughter by gross negligence, which she denies. The court was told that Ms Steel, 23, of Dartford, had previously admitted causing death by dangerous driving by due care while over the prescribed limit.
Prosecutor Mr Alex Stein told jurors that Ms Kiely was the passenger in a car driven by Ms Steel, with Harry in a child seat in the back of the car, sat behind his mother.
Mr Stein claimed: 'That car seat had not been properly strapped in and more significantly he [Harry] had not been strapped into the seat itself properly.'
He detailed that Ms Steel became distracted, hit a parked car and the car rolled and Harry was thrown out of the car through an open window.
Mr Stein added: 'He landed on the tarmac and as a young infant he had no way of protecting himself,' Mr Stein added. 'He suffered a devastating skull fracture. It's a very, very sad case.'
Chelmsford Crown Court heard that Ms Kiely and Harry had been picked up by Ms Steel at around 3pm on July 13.
They went to the beach but stopped via Aldi on their way where they bought three bottles of rose.
'Tipsy and happy' at time of driving
Ms Kiely and Ms Steel were described as being 'just a bit tipsy and happy'. Their plan was that Harry would be at Ms Kiely's mum's home whilst they went to the pub.
At the time of the collision, Harry was in a child seat at the rear of the car with his mum in front of him and Ms Steel driving, there was 'no suggestion' that the car had been speeding.
The car carrying Harry hit the corner of a parked vehicle, ending up on its roof and Harry was 'thrown or fell' out the nearside window.
Chelmsford Crown Court heard Kiely 'loved her child' and there is 'no evidence to suggest that she was anything other than a loving and caring mother'.
Mr Stein added: 'Whatever happened that day she certainly did not mean for it to happen.'
A 999 call made to emergency services after the collision was played to jurors. During this Ms Kiely was said to have been heard saying 'my baby, my baby, is my baby okay'. Emergency services attended but Harry was declared dead at just after 9pm on July 13.
Mr Stein said: 'We will anticipate that she [Kiely] thought she had secured Harry properly.
'No parent would want to admit to themselves that they were the cause of their own child's death, but the evidence we say is quite clear that she failed to look after Harry properly that day.'
Kiely, of Ryde Avenue in Clacton, is accused of manslaughter by gross negligence. She denies the charge. The trial continues.