Mom dead, toddler injured after being hit by car in road because sidewalk hadn’t been cleared of ice
ST. LOUIS (KMOV/Gray News) – A mom was killed and her toddler was critically injured when they were hit by a car in St. Louis on Monday afternoon.
Police said the woman was walking in the road and pushing the 2-year-old child in a stroller around 2 p.m. when they were hit by a car.
Police said they were likely walking in the road instead of on the sidewalk because the sidewalks were still covered by ice and snow from a winter storm that hit the area on Jan. 5.
On a GoFundMe page, the woman’s family said she died “as a result of ice on West Florissant in North St. Louis that had not been cleared.”
The family identified the mom as Shirley Jean Howard, 39, and said the toddler’s name is Amir.
“Shirley was walking in the street because of the icy sidewalk when a motorist struck and killed her and injured Amir,” the GoFundMe page reads.
Police said the driver was a man in his 80s who veered into the bike lane, struck the mom and toddler, then crashed through a snowbank and into a house. The home sustained minor damage.
The driver is cooperating with the investigation, according to police. He was taken to the hospital and held for observation after the crash.
Police said Howard died at the scene and the child was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Police said they have not ruled out giving citations to property owners who have not removed the snow and ice from their sidewalks.
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