A tragic incident unfolded in Harris County, Texas, over the weekend when an 18-month-old toddler was fatally struck by a car. The child’s mother, 31-year-old Morgan Ottinger, and her boyfriend, 41-year-old Cameron Link, are now in custody in connection with the incident.
According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the incident occurred on Saturday in the driveway of Ottinger’s trailer in Tomball, a suburb near Houston. Ottinger and her daughter, Cora, were initially inside a vehicle in the driveway. However, Ottinger reportedly fell asleep or lost consciousness, leaving the toddler unsupervised.
The toddler exited the vehicle and was standing near it when Link drove into the driveway, striking the child. Emergency services were called to the scene, but despite their best efforts, Cora was pronounced dead at the scene. Sheriff Gonzalez noted a delay in the suspects calling 911, but did not elaborate further on the matter.
Ottinger now faces charges of child endangerment resulting in serious bodily injury. Link, who had outstanding warrants for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and theft, was also taken into custody. Sheriff Gonzalez stated that there were no indications of impairment on Link’s part at the time of the incident.
Harris County Sheriff Maj. Anthony McConnell expressed his dismay at the tragic event, telling local ABC affiliate KTRK, “The child was out and about unsupervised. It should’ve never happened and I can’t explain how it did happen. We just have people that are not taking care of their child like they should.”
As of Monday morning, both Ottinger and Link remain in custody. Ottinger is being held at the Harris County Jail on a $40,000 bond, while Link is being held without bond.