A family in Aldine, a Houston suburb, is in mourning after an Uber driver allegedly ran over a one-year-old girl in the parking lot of an apartment complex after dropping her and her family off. According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, on March 17, the driver allegedly dropped off the party of four, including three adults and a toddler. As KPRC 2 reports, while the adults, who were relatives of the child, walked toward the building, the small child walked in front of the gray Volkswagen SUV that had just dropped them off.
Lt. K Benoit with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office told the outlet, “When the Uber driver saw the female adult clear at a couple of feet, he began driving forward to turn around, accidentally rolling over the child.”
Shortly after this happened, the family tried to rescue the child, driving to a hospital, but they were able to flag down an emergency vehicle, which took the child to the hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
Meanwhile, other family members allegedly opened the door of the Volkswagen and began assaulting the driver. According to Benoit, “He’s in serious condition. You know, non-life threatening, but serious.”
Neighbors, like Simya Washington, came outside to see what was happening. Her security system captured video of what unfolded, she told KPRC 2, “I just heard a lot of commotion outside, and I just came outside, and I just seen, like, blood and a baby laying on the ground,” Washington said. “It was just so traumatic because I was just thinking about my baby, you know, my son or anybody else kids. It was just so, I couldn’t do, I couldn’t even.”
Benoit told KPRC 2 that no charges have been filed against the family or the driver, who has been identified as Muhammad Khan. “At this time, no charges have been filed,” Benoit said. “But, however, it is still under investigation. There could be charges a couple of different ways.”
Bill Barajas, an anchor with KPRC 2, spoke to Bryan Wice, a legal analyst with KPRC 2, about any potential legal charges that could arise from the incident for either party. Wice indicated that it was possible the family could see charges but expressed doubts that Khan’s actions meet the standard for criminal negligence.
“Every crime is a tragedy, every tragedy is not a crime, and make no mistake, what happened in this case was tragic, horrific, unimaginable on so many different levels. Does it rise to the level of criminal negligence where the Uber driver could be charged with criminally negligent homicide? `I don’t know. And the worst thing anyone can do at this moment is rush to judgment.”
Wice continued, saying that he believed the family could be charged for their actions, “The short answer is yes, assault being the far most likely charge or charges. Again, I can understand their outrage, but we don’t settle our differences, no matter how pointed they might be, or how tragic a story that drives a narrative out there in a parking lot is. Vigilante justice, regardless of its degree or its kind, has no place in Harris County.”
Wice and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office concluded that a grand jury trial is the most likely outcome. A representative for the HCSO told KPRC 2, “There are no charges against the driver of the rideshare at this time. The incident is still under investigation. Upon its completion, it will most likely be forwarded to the DA’s office (District Attorney Kim Ogg) for final disposition and possible indictment from the Grand Jury.”
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