On January 11, an Amazon truck turned into the path of a Ford Ranger at about 6:00 pm in Athens, Georgia. The driver of the ranger, 46-year-old Jerry Miller, suffered minor injuries — but his passenger, 41-year-old Helen Edwards, who was pregnant, was seriously injured.
Following the crash, Edwards gave birth and she and the baby were put in intensive care. The baby died two days later, according to the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD).
Police are investigating the case as a homicide by vehicle, though charges have not yet been filed. The truck driver, 24-year-old Munjae Whatley, suffered minor injuries.
“The baby was subsequently delivered, and both mother and baby were placed in intensive care,” officers wrote on January 16 in a Facebook post. “During a follow-up investigation, ACCPD learned the newborn baby passed away.”
Amazon spokesperson Austin Stowe issued a statement to McClatchy News. “This is a tragic accident, and our thoughts and sympathies are with those involved,” he said in an email. “We are supporting our Delivery Service Partner and Athens-Clarke County Police Department as they investigate.”
After the baby’s death, police wrote in a news release, “The case is now being worked as a homicide by vehicle.”
Georgia also has a law regarding motor vehicles and serious traffic offenses. The law states that “[a]ny person who, without malice aforethought, causes the death of another person through the violation of [reckless driving] … commits the offense of homicide by vehicle in the first degree, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than three years nor more than 15 years.”
Georgia also has a law protecting most preborn children from abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. The law was upheld in October by the state Supreme Court, ruling against the abortion facilities that attempted to have the law blocked.
