Texas Woman Charged After Child Crashes Car

A shocking incident in San Antonio, Texas, has led to criminal charges against a 25-year-old woman, Ladeja Pickett. Authorities allege that Pickett instructed a 9-year-old girl to move a car, a decision that resulted in a serious crash and left the child with significant injuries.

A Dangerous Decision

The incident occurred on November 9th, when deputies responded to a crash site. According to a spokesperson for the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Pickett claimed she asked the child to move the car from her driveway so she could put up Christmas decorations. The spokesperson also noted that Pickett, who is not the child’s mother, stated the girl knew where the keys were and got them herself.

Tragically, the child “lost control of the vehicle” and reportedly “jumped out before crashing into the neighbor’s truck.” The young girl sustained a forehead laceration and road rash on her leg. Video footage of the event clearly shows the car spinning erratically with the driver’s door open before colliding with another vehicle.

Warnings Ignored

The child’s mother told KSAT that her daughter remains hospitalized and expressed outrage, stating Pickett “had no right to hand a minor keys.” According to the mother, Pickett, described as a family friend, had been repeatedly warned that the child did not know how to drive. Despite these warnings, Pickett allegedly insisted, “she’s going to learn.”

The mother further detailed the sequence of events, explaining that Pickett allegedly put the car in reverse while the child’s foot was on the gas pedal. This caused the vehicle to shoot out of the driveway, hit the curb, spin twice, strike the curb again, and finally crash into a neighbor’s truck.

Charges and Recovery

Pickett has been charged with injury to a child and endangering a child. She was arrested and booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center. The young girl, whose name is being withheld for privacy, is expected to make a full recovery, according to her mother. She has undergone three surgeries at University Health and will require a wheelchair during her recovery period, though the family remains optimistic about her healing.