FORT WORTH, Texas — A 2-year-old Fort Worth girl died Thursday, two days after a 25-year-old suspected drunk driver reportedly hit the car of the child's family Tuesday night, the Arlington Police Department said.
Her parents were also seriously hurt and another 4-year-old received minor injuries, according to the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
Tyler Hampton faces multiple charges of intoxication assault with a vehicle in connection to the accident, according to police. However, officials said he will likely face an additional count of intoxication manslaughter, with the child's death.
According to police, the child was riding in her family's Toyota Tundra going west on Interstate 20 near the HWY 360 interchange around 8:30 Tuesday night.
Hampton, police said, was driving in a Mazda MX5 and "made an unsafe lane change" across all lanes of traffic, hitting the Tundra in the process. The impact between the two caused the truck to hit a metal guardrail before it rolled off the roadway, coming to a stop on its side.
All four people inside the truck - including the 2-year-old - were taken to the hospital. The 2-year-old died just before 8 p.m. Thursday - just two days before Christmas - at the pediatric intensive care unit at Cook Children's Medical Center. No official cause of death had been ruled.
Hampton was arrested by police and taken to the Tarrant County Jail. He bonded out of jail on Tuesday, the same night of the accident, according to jail records.
Meanwhile, the Arlington Police Department reminded everyone that driving while intoxicated is illegal and can have deadly consequences. Anyone who drinks - especially over the holidays - should use a designated driver, a taxi, or a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft.
