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The Gainesville Police Department (GPD) filed a sworn complaint Monday against Christina Shantell Gordan, 29, recommending two charges of manslaughter for the deaths of her 6-month-old and 22-month-old children following a car crash in July.
The State Attorney’s Office will now review the complaint and decide whether to formally charge Gordan with two charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child, a first-degree felony.
In the sworn complaint, GPD Officer Lynne Valdes said Gordan failed to follow Florida law and properly restrain her children in the vehicle.
At the crash scene, Valdes reported that a body worn camera records Gordan saying the children were not buckled up, but at the hospital, she changed her statement to law enforcement, saying both had been buckled in the passenger seat.
The wreck happened on Williston Road at the interchange with I-75. Gordan was traveling west when a vehicle failed to yield when turning onto the interstate ramp and hit Gordan’s 2019 Nissan Altima, the wreck report said.
According to the GPD, witnesses arrived at Gordan’s car and found the 6-month-old baby on the floorboard of the driver’s seat, between Gordan’s feet. Gordan told the witnesses that there was another baby, and the 22-month-old was found on the floorboard of the passenger seat.
Both children died from injuries after being trauma alerted to UF Health Shands Hospital.
The sworn complaint also said the GPD officers found the seat belts for both the driver and passenger sides locked in place.
“Based on the injuries to [Victim 1], the location of [Victim 1], and blood present on the steering wheeler airbag, it is believed that [the 6-month old] was sitting in the lap of [Gordan]. [Victim 2] is believed to have been sitting in the front passenger seat, unrestrained,” Valdes wrote in her complaint.
GPD said an infant’s child seat, without the bottom, was found in the trunk of the car and not in use.
The driver of the other vehicle, Dioslay Moreno of Williston, will face charges of failing to yield, police said. That charge was sent last week to the State Attorney’s Office.
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I think the woman who caused the crash, if her failing to yield caused the crash, should face manslaughter charges. She caused the wreck that led to death. Why is the Mom only being charged versus the person who caused the accident that instigated the infants’ deaths. Th that she only got charged with failure to yield is outrageous, as well as evidence, huge bias on the part of GPD. Again, the mom is the target, because they know they will get a lot of support; this is because people just love to target sole blame on moms whenever they get the chance. Not surprised, however, given the GPD’s lack of concern when there are assaults on women, etc.
Imagine if you were the other driver, and you caused this accident – should you be facing jail time for manslaughter because the person you hit did not have her children properly restrained? This happened on Williston Road where the speed limit is 45 mph – had they been in car seats, they would not have died in that accident.
Good job State Attorney, she needs to held accountable!
The mother needs a serious charge, but not so serious as manslaughter The other driver needs a slightly more serious charge, perhaps adding resulting in significant harm. Also what about the father of he children? He should know how his children were not being cared for properly and helping to see that they would. It takes two to produce children. Both need to be held responsible for their care.