Johnson City, Tennessee—Johnson City Police have not filed charges against a mother who accidentally killed her baby son.
Police officials said Maria Vargas was attempting to deliver lunch to her husband at work when her mini-van ran out of gas in the Timbers North Apartment Complex on Timberlake Road.
Local police said the mother put the car into neutral to move it out of a parking spot. “Our investigation is showing the vehicle was never started but it was placed into neutral,” said Sergeant Scotty Carrier, of the Johnson City Police Department Traffic Unit.
Shelly Davis, a resident in the apartment complex, was sitting outside when the tragedy unfolded. “Next thing you know, the van started rolling. She had her foot dragging trying to stop it, but she put it into park and she went over a bump and the next thing you know it was the baby,” she said. The toddler, Steven Vargas, was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
Sergeant Carrier said it’s not common for children to get run over by automobiles, “This is the first time I’ve seen anything involving a small toddler who has been backed over. This should be a reminder to all drivers how dangerous a car can be.”
Even though the mother drove a 1998 model, there are technological innovations, available for purchase, to make older vehicles safer. For larger automobiles a wireless back-up camera system can be purchased. The camera, which is attached to the rear license plate, offers a 110 degree view of behind the car. The camera only costs between $50 and $100—a small price to pay to save your child’s life.
