Toddler still in critical condition after crash
URBANA – A toddler injured in what police say was a drunken driving crash in Champaign Friday night remained in critical condition Tuesday at Carle Foundation Hospital.
The driver accused of hitting the car the baby was in has been charged with aggravated driving under the influence and obstructing justice.
If convicted of the most serious count, Montrell Davis, 21, who listed an address in the 1200 block of North McKinley Avenue, Champaign, could be sent to prison for up to 12 years.
Champaign police said Davis was driving a car east on Clark Street when he allegedly ran the stop sign at State Street about 8 p.m. and collided with a car driven south on State by Zheng Ni, 35, who listed an address on Valley Road, Champaign.
Ni's wife, Xaidong Cheng Ni, 31, and their son, Ercheng Ni, 1, were both injured. Xaidong Ni remained at Carle Tuesday in good condition while the baby was listed in critical condition.
Preliminary information from the state's attorney's office is that he suffered swelling of the brain, damage to internal organs, and broken ribs.
A brief synopsis released by police said two other cars were hit in the crash.
Davis' passenger, Calverlear Washington, 20, was also taken to the hospital for treatment but was released.
Davis was also charged with obstructing justice because he told police that Washington was driving. Because people were injured, Davis had to submit to blood and urine testing but the results were not available.
Assistant Public Defender Amanda Riess asked Judge John Kennedy to reduce Davis' bond from the $100,000 that had been set on Saturday by Judge Tom Difanis. Riess said Davis' fiance is due to have a child on March 12 and that he helps take care of his mother.
Assistant State's Attorney Katie Pugh said Davis had prior convictions for criminal trespass to land, criminal trespass to residence, and aggravated unlawful use of weapons.
Kennedy declined to reduce the bond and ordered Davis to be back in court March 15.
An accident reconstruction specialist has been assigned to investigate the crash. Preliminary police reports did not answer where the occupants of the Ni car, a Toyota Prius, were seated when the collision happened. The Dodge Avenger driven east struck the Prius in the passenger side. The air bags in theh Prius deployed. Both cars were heavily damaged, police said.
How can you attempt to cover a serious story like this but fail to mention whether or not the child was properly restrained in a safety seat? The damages to the child don't sound consistent with a child who was safely restrained, what are you hiding? Careful News Gazette, your racial bias is showing.
auntsonyas - So let's say that the child was not properly restrained--should the individual responsible (someone who seems to have a penchant for breaking the law) for the accident be released without charges? Way to go, deflect responsibility from the perpetrator and make the victim the guilty one.
--If that woman wasn't so attractive she wouldn't have been raped.
--If that person didn't leave the expensive car in the driveway it wouldn't have been stolen.
--If that family had properly restrained their child, he wouldn't have been so seriously injured when, while intoxicated I ran the stop sign and hit their car.
All the same garbage argument.
If I remember correctly from the initial story, the car that was hit was a Toyota Prius. The type of car that hit them and the speed at which they were hit were not mentioned. With the small size of the Prius, he could have sustained serious injuries even if he was in a safety seat, especially if the car was hit on the side that the child was sitting. In a violent collision, the child's head could still have moved with significant force and possibly have struck the plastic sides of the seat causing the brain swelling, and the internal injuries and broken ribs would be consistent with the force of the child's body against the harness.
Just because a child is in a safety seat does not mean that they are safe from any injuries whatsoever. They are protected from life threatening injuries in minor collisions, but in major violent collisions, the potential for serious injury is still there. Safety seats are an extremely important protection for children, but no type of safety seat on the market can protect a child completely in every accident.
I also have to agree with the others. While it is a valid point to mention if a child is not properly restrained (which doesn't seem to be the case here), I don't see the need to try to take the attention off of the irresponsible drunk driver. Perhaps he should have been thinking of his own child when he got in a car and drove drunk.
Aunt Sonya- Please show me ANYWHERE in the article where there is any mention of race. What difference does it make if the child was in a seat belt or not. Did the person who failed to yield cause the accident yes or no. Quit playing the race card here, when there is NO mention what the race is.
Sure, there's still a lot of systemic racial bias and I am as liberal a fellow as you'll find, but seriously, WTF. A guy got drunk, caused an accident and seriously hurt a 1 year old child and your response is to speculate about whether the parents were using a car seat and accuse the N-G of displaying bias by reporting the facts. The laws of physics do not care about race. Your thinking is deeply illogical. Please don't inflict it on others.
auntsonyas- Are you saying that this person that did this crime should get nothing because of a skin color? If this is a "black white thing" to you, maybe you should read again! It doesnt seem to me as if the victim in this was a "white" person from the sound of the name either, but as you should know NEVER assume anything. If someone were to hurt one of my children under the influence of drugs of any kind, I would NOT care what color they were! Black White Purple Orange, it doesnt matter, a child was injured because a HUMAN made a very irresponsible choice, and he should have to be held accountable for that choice! If the person that is guilty here had the name of Josh or Mike, would you still have a problem???? Seems to me the only person making any kind of racial mouth is you!
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