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Mom of the Year Crashes Into Pole, Flees and Leaves 3YO Child Behind

A woman from Youngstown, Ohio, can easily claim the title of the mother of the year slash driver of the month, after she crashed her car into a telephone pole and ran off, leaving her toddler behind, strapped in the carseat.
Ohio mom crashes Kia Optima in pole, flees and leaves toddler behind 20 photos
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Natasha Shelton, 24, has been arrested and charged with endangering children, leaving the scene of an accident and failure to control, Cleveland.com reports. Her child is no longer living with her, as the investigation into the crash is underway.

Shelton had been visiting her cousin with her child earlier this week. As she was leaving, she crashed into the pole, her cousin told the police. He walked out of the house when he heard the bang and found the car, but Shelton was nowhere in sight. So he took the child back into his home and called the cops.

“When officers arrived, they found a Kia Optima but there was no one in the car,” the report notes. “[The cousin] told police he did not know where Shelton was.”

While police were still around, Shelton’s boyfriend came over and confirmed that she’d been out with the car. However, he didn’t know where she was then, he said, before taking off himself.

“Shelton and her boyfriend returned to the scene as a tow truck arrived and that Shelton claimed she had not been driving, but her cousin identified her as the driver,” the report says. “Shelton admitted to police she had run from the scene because she was scared.”

Police are now investigating to see what caused the crash and whether it had anything to do with Shelton’s sudden decision to up and leave after it happened. The report doesn’t say whether alcohol or drugs were a factor, but it does mention that the child wasn’t hurt in the accident.
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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