Deputy-Involved Crash Leaves 1-Year-Old Dead, Mother Fighting To Stay Alive
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY (CBS13) — Mario Huerta says he immediately rushed in to help after a San Joaquin County Sheriff's Deputy slammed into the back of a car with a woman and her one-year-old son inside.
"[To] Make sure everyone was as safe or alive or in the car still. I looked around right here in the area to see if anyone got ejected [that's] when I see [the] baby right away, we got him out the car first," he described while standing near the crash site.
Nearby home surveillance video shows the moment of impact. The mother's Ford sedan is shown traveling on Interstate 5 with the lights flashing when for some reason she slows down and stops, and then the deputy crashes into her.
The crash happened around 10:38 p.m. Saturday night. CHP Stockton identified the deputy as Kengie Chue Yang.
The impact sent the mother and son inside the sedan into an embankment. The baby, one-year-old Kevin Hart, didn't survive the crash and his mother, Kaleshatinae Dalerika Johnson, is now fighting for her life.
According to the CHP, Deputy Yang responded to the sedan after it went down the embankment and extricated the child to begin CPR. Good Samaritans, including Huerta, also came to help, extricating Johnson and beginning CPR on her.
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We asked the San Joaquin County Sheriff what happened. He says the investigation is so fresh, even he doesn't know yet.
"I don't even know if he had been dispatched to a call or heading out to his regular routine patrol, I don't know," the sheriff said.
We also asked what kind of accountability the deputy could face.
"I cannot answer that. Again, the investigation will answer that, that will be determined through the investigation by the California Highway MAIT team," he said.
As the investigation unfolds, Huerta wishes the mother whose son he tried to save pulls through.
"I'd like to meet her though to say my condolences to her for her child. I mean I tried doing my best to help," Huerta said.
The CHP says alcohol and drugs are not believed to be a factor in the crash. Anyone who witnessed or has any information on this collision is requested to contact Officer Sengo at the Stockton CHP area office at (209)938-4800
