A baby delivered after being involved in a serious car crash with a suspected impaired driver has died.
The two vehicle crash happened near Kenly last Tuesday, April 23rd at 4:02pm.
Trooper C.O. Best said the driver of a black Ford Explorer, 38 year-old Candice Jones Kye of Ocean Isle Beach, NC, was traveling north on Creech Church Road when she ran a stop sign at Highway 42 in the Antioch Community. After running the stop sign, the Explorer struck a grey Chevy Malibu traveling eastbound on Highway 42. After the impact the Explorer overturned in a ditch. The Malibu came to rest in the highway.
The driver of the Malibu, 28 year-old Brittany Michelle Braswell of Selma, was taken to Wake Medical Center. Mrs. Braswell, who was 32 weeks pregnant, underwent an emergency c-section. She gave birth to a baby girl, Elia. The baby had been in serious condition and tragically died while in the hospital Friday afternoon (April 26th). Elia was just 3 days old.
Mrs. Braswell, who was not wearing a seat belt, was seriously injured after impacting the windshield of her car. She is still recovering. A 1 year-old child in the back seat of Braswell’s car was properly restrained in a child seat. The 1 year-old sustained only minor injuries.
Kye was transported to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, along with her 13 year-old son who was a passenger in the Explorer.
Kye was charged in the hospital with driving while impaired. Trooper Best told JoCoReport Kye’s DWI charge is for suspected drug impairment and a blood test was ordered. Kye could face additional charges following the death of Braswell’s baby.
Braswell was cited for failure to wear a seat belt.
Photos by John Payne
