Mother and her toddler daughter drown after crash leaves car submerged in river

A greater Houston country parent and toddler died aft the parent suffered a aesculapian emergency, and her SUV was submerged successful a stream with her children inside.

A Good Samaritan witnessed the incidental and was instrumental successful redeeming 2 children involved, according to reports by section outlets KHOU and KRIV.

The antheral was successful Harris County and reported seeing a 2020 Kia Telluriode submerged successful a subdivision of the San Jacinto River conscionable fater 4:40 p.m. connected April 25, said authorities and Major Cedrick Collier of the Harris County Sheriff's Office astatine a property conference.

The witnesser besides reported seeing 2 children connected apical of the SUV. He past dove into the h2o and saved the children.

Collier said authorities aboriginal recovered retired that a mother, 39-year-old Crystal Hall Njepu, and her 1-year-old daughter, Annah, were inactive successful the vehicle. Harris County divers recovered the bodies of the parent and girl from the water, which is astir six oregon 7 feet deep. Both were pronounced dormant astatine the scene.

“The car was wholly submerged,” Collier said. “The 1-year-old was inactive recovered restrained successful a car spot successful the backmost seat, adjacent the rear rider door.”

Mom whitethorn person suffered a ‘medical emergency’

According to Collier, from the sheriff’s office, Crystal Hall Njepu and the children were successful the conveyance traveling westbound connected Market Street erstwhile the car drifted into the northbound broadside of the roadway.

“She really intentionally pulled disconnected the roadway,” Collier said. “That's for certain.”

Authorities added that determination was a adjacent camera successful the country that captured the conveyance moving and past stopping repeatedly. Hall Njepu apt suffered a "medical emergency," causing her to thrust disconnected the roadworthy and onto gravel connected the southbound broadside of the road.

"The conveyance came to an abrupt halt for astir 1 minute," the sheriff's bureau told USA TODAY connected April 29. "Moments aboriginal the conveyance accelerated guardant into the grassy country and into the water. The conveyance began to descend astatine a accelerated complaint and was besides taken by the existent nether the bridge."

More news: A firefighter paramedic was fatally stabbed successful an ambulance. A diligent is being charged.

Multiple bystanders helped prevention 2 different children

The antheral who saved the children, told tv presumption KHOU that helium instantly jumped successful to assistance the household erstwhile helium realized what was happening.

He was connected his mode location from enactment that time and had a enactment successful his truck, helium told the presumption successful Spanish. He tied the enactment astir his waist and had a 2nd antheral clasp onto it portion helium dove into the water.

He couldn't get the car's doors unfastened but helium could perceive the children wrong yelling for help, helium said.

The children, a 5-year-old and a 7-year-old, were successful the beforehand rider spot and the backmost near rider spot of the SUV. Another bystander threw him a shot bat, allowing him to interruption a rear model and escaped the children. He added that the oldest child, a 7-year-old, could aquatics a bit.

"I convey God we were capable to prevention 2 kids,” helium said. “There's sadness successful the bosom due to the fact that 2 lives were mislaid and we couldn't get it done."

The children are “in bully condition,” said Collier, from the sheriff's office. Family members volition beryllium caring for them.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office's Vehicular Crimes Division is investigating.

'She is everlastingly my babe sister': Family mourns decease of parent and her 'happy and precise smart' baby

Hall Njepu’s older brother, Lawrence Hall, said successful a connection to USA TODAY connected April 29 that they person suffered a “terrible situation” successful losing the parent and daughter.

“Annah was a blessed and precise astute baby,” Hall said, adding that Annah was capable to usage motion connection astatine the young property of 1. “Not due to the fact that she had disabilities but due to the fact that she was astute and 1 of the daycares that she attended had immoderate precise innovative and guardant reasoning staff.”

Her parent was a astute assemblage postgraduate who had “exceptional cognition of concern and finance.”

“She is everlastingly my babe sister and she and Annah are greatly missed,” helium said.

Loved ones person started a GoFundMe to enactment memorial services and Njepu's remaining children. As of April 29, they person raised implicit $12,000 of the fundraiser's $15,000 goal.

His household is trying to recognize what happened and why, but the household is relying connected their faith, helium said. The household besides thanked the antheral who saved 2 children erstwhile the conveyance went into the water.

"There are nary words to explicit however grateful we are that helium responded to the telephone of God … and helped to prevention our different 2 babies.  We emotion him and anticipation to conscionable him soon.”

Saleen Martin is simply a newsman connected USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her astatine [email protected].

This nonfiction primitively appeared connected USA TODAY: Mother, toddler drown aft car crashes into San Jacinto River