"Something like this would shock anybody. We are still human,” Chief Brent Dyer said.
Trigger Warning: This article contains graphic details that may be distressing to readers.
Four young girls, including a 1-year-old infant, and two adults were killed in a car crash in Tennessee, authorities said. The victims were ejected from their seats onto the middle of a freeway in the early morning hours of March 26 on Interstate 24 West near the Springfield/Ashland City exit. “These are things sometimes I don’t believe people are necessarily meant to see as human beings,” Robertson County Emergency Medical Services Director, Chief Brent Dyer said, according to WSMV.
Mental health and counseling services for responders have been organized, according to a statement from Robertson County EMS. "Our office recognizes the incredible difficulty of this scene," the statement said. "Please keep the families and persons involved in your thoughts and prayers." The crash is being investigated by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. According to THP's report, per WSMV, 21-year-old Tania Rodriguez, of Kentucky, was driving a Toyota Camry when it crashed with a BMW, driven by 23-year-old Matthew Flint, of Alabama. Rodriguez died in the crash.
‘These are things sometimes I don’t believe people are necessarily meant to see as human beings.’ - EMS Chief Brent Dyerhttps://t.co/DZpn3dkVo4
— NYC EMS Watch (@NYCEMSwatch) March 27, 2023
“It’s one of the hardest things we’ll ever do, as anybody in emergency services, is to realize that you can’t do something for a child”
None of the occupants of the Camry, including the children between the ages of 1-12, were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. The children were found lying helpless on the side of the road after the crash. The four young girls were dead at the scene along with a fellow passenger, 35-year-old Rina Reyes. While Saira Reyes, 34, another passenger in the car, suffered injuries. She was found in critical condition and was air-lifted to Vanderbilt Medical Center. The driver of the BMW is being investigated for possible charges.
The scene was traumatic even for first responders. "It's one of the hardest things we'll ever do, as anybody in emergency services, is to realize that you can't do something for a child," Dyer said, adding, "Something like this would shock anybody. We are still human." Dyer has an earnest request for others. “I beg people to put your children in the proper restraint devices and I beg everyone driving on the road to think about the outcome of impatience and the outcome of intolerance,” Dyer said.
According to the United States Department of Transportation, car crashes are a leading cause of death for children between ages 1 and 13 and it's important to go through the process of finding the right car seat, installing it correctly, and keeping one's child safe.
Parents can follow NHTSA’s car seat recommendations based on their child’s age and size and even register their car seat and sign up for recall notices to receive safety updates.
Blankets are a good alternative to a heavy, puffy coat, which can cause the car seat harness to not fit snugly. #TheRightSeat pic.twitter.com/HA8bUyRG1c
— nhtsagov (@NHTSAgov) January 31, 2023
References:
https://www.wsmv.com/2023/03/27/crash-i-24-robertson-county-kills-six-including-children/
https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/car-seats-and-booster-seats#age-size-rec
Cover Image Source: YouTube | NBC News
