"They were doing absolutely nothing wrong except for spending a beautiful Sunday together."
In the Las Flores community of South Orange County on April 2, a car veered into a curb and struck a family, killing an 11-month-old baby and injuring his parents. According to the California Highway Patrol, the Ohlwiler family, which included little Madden, his mother Hayley, 31, and father Kyle, 34, were involved in a DUI collision on Sunday afternoon. The Ohlwilers were pushing their 11-month-old son, Madden, in his pram on a sidewalk in Mission Viejo, California, when Daniel Patrick Lenihan, of San Clemente, California, reportedly jumped the curb and hit them. Lenihan is accused of driving while intoxicated.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the parents of 11-month-old Madden Ohlwiler, killed by a driver police say was under the influence.
— Gigi Graciette (@GigiGraciette) April 4, 2023
My prayers are with them...heartbreaking. https://t.co/nEQ5LDCCSq pic.twitter.com/WSk7xNFUFc
According to PEOPLE, DUI and manslaughter accusations led to the arrest of Lenihan, 54. According to records, he was later released on bail. It's unknown if he entered a plea to the charges or if he hired a lawyer to speak for him. The GoFundMe campaign for the family reads, “Baby Madden didn't make it and returned to our Heavenly Father. Kyle and Hayley are still in the hospital being treated for their injuries and anything you can do to help and support this sweet family at this time would be truly appreciated."
In a private word with KTLA, a family friend Laura Dunn shared, "They were doing absolutely nothing wrong except for spending a beautiful Sunday together." The California Highway Patrol reported that a couple was pushing their infant in a pram along Antonio Parkway, south of Oaktree, at 4:15 p.m. The family was struck by a Hyundai car that had been traveling north on Antonio when it diverted off the road and traveled a few hundred feet down the sidewalk. The newborn eventually passed away from his injuries at the hospital, according to the CHP, after the parents, the kid, and the sedan's driver were all transported there.
Las Flores community mourns death of 11-month-old baby Madden killed during family walk 💔🙏https://t.co/xgWsxWeC4u (via @ChipYost)
— Mike Vulpo (@mrmikev) April 4, 2023
The Orange County Coroner's Service has named the baby Madden Robert Ohlwiler, who was born on April 7. On Monday, Jonathan Cherney, a resident, and expert in accident reconstruction said he was there, examining the traces left on the ground and the pavement. Cherney thinks that there was nothing the family could have done to stop Lenihan from speeding. "I think the scariest thing is that when you're with your family and you're walking somewhere that's safe, nobody is going to expect a car to drive up on the sidewalk and take you out," he told ABC News.
The suspect who allegedly hit a family of three, killing their 11-month-old son, after jumping a curb under the influence of drugs has been released by authorities.https://t.co/SdRd0nhgmU
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) April 5, 2023
"You don't expect these things to happen but unfortunately when somebody decides to take drugs and drive under the influence - it's not a good combination. Bad things can happen," said CHP Officer Brian Kinsey. While Hayley is being treated for broken bones and Kyle sustained a severe concussion in the collision, according to him, the death of the couple's only child caused most of the anguish.
Reference:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/7tazkj-medical-and-funeral-expenses
https://people.com/crime/baby-killed-suspected-dui-driver-parents-pushed-sidewalk/
https://abc7.com/orange-county-child-killed-deadly-crash-dui-suspect/13078509/
Cover Image Source: GoFundMe
