Published: May 12, 2008 10:52 pm            

Child in critical condition after accident

Four Dayton residents were Life-Flighted to Memorial Hermann Hospital Sunday after a one-vehicle rollover accident on Interstate 45.

Those Life-Flighted from the accident, including a woman and three children, were each ejected from the vehicle, while two other passengers were not seriously injured.

According to Department of Public Safety Trooper Jack Dean, Jennifer Aguilar, 9, was in “extremely critical condition” as of Monday morning.

Driver Mariana Aguilar, 36, Hernan Aguilar, 14, and Maria Aguilar, 12, were still hospitalized but in stable condition, Dean said.

The accident, which took place at 5:45 p.m. near mile marker 130 in the southbound lanes, occurred when Mariana Aguilar’s Ford SUV hit the center median and subsequently rolled two times.

“Driver Mariana Aguilar failed to control her speed, entered the center median, tried to pull the vehicle back onto the roadway and entered into a side skid,” Dean said. “The vehicle rolled two times before coming to rest on its top in the middle of Interstate 45.

“The driver, a 14-year-old male, a 12-year-old female and a 9-year-old female were all ejected from the vehicle, none of whom were wearing seatbelts.”

Two other passengers in the vehicle, including a month-old infant named Rojelio Aguilar and 37-year-old passenger Leticia Aguilar did not receive serious injuries.

Jennifer Aguilar received the most life-threatening injuries of those involved in the accident, Dean said.

“When the car flipped the first time, she was automatically ejected and must have gone at least 50 yards,” he said. “The vehicle actually came to rest right next to her, so she’s lucky she didn’t get run over.

“She was the one who was ejected the furthest, and she received multiple skull fractures and a broken femur.”

Dean said Maria Aguilar was responsive at the scene but also received serious injuries.

“Maria had a head injury and several serious lacerations,” Dean said. “Hernan Aguilar, the 14-year-old male, also received a broken femur.”

The driver, who was also responsive at the accident, received multiple lacerations and experienced significant blood loss.

“She had a severe laceration to the head and, from what the paramedics were telling me, a possible arterial laceration on her left arm,” Dean said. “She actually had more blood under her than the 9-year-old.”

Dean said the driver of the vehicle was cited for failure to control speed and for allowing children to ride in a vehicle while unsecured by a safety belt.

“When there is an adequate safety belt available for a passenger, it is the driver’s responsibility to make sure each passenger is wearing a safety belt,” Dean said. “In this situation, where everyone in the car was positioned, there should have only been one person who was not wearing a safety belt.

“Only the 37-year-old passenger was wearing a seatbelt, and the one-month old was properly strapped into a child seat.”

Dean said traffic was delayed from when the accident took place until 8 p.m. or later.

“The car was towed off of the scene, and it was basically in shambles, but no other vehicles were involved in the accident,” he said. “The Huntsville Police Department drove all the way up to assist us with traffic control, and both Huntsville-Walker County EMS and the Huntsville Fire Department assisted as well.”

In addition to the several public safety organizations involved at the accident, Dean said several witnesses to the accident stopped to assist.

“I have the names of at least five people who worked to stabilize everyone until help could arrive,” Dean said.

        

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