21 May 2014

Police 'gutted' over unrestrained baby

5:14 pm on 21 May 2014

Hamilton police are "gutted" after a woman was seen breastfeeding in a moving car - just days after a crash claimed the life of an unrestrained baby, a spokeswoman says.

Taumarunui 12-week-old Alexandria Navacilla died in Starship Hospital after being critically injured when the car she was in hit a bank. She was sitting on her mother's lap at the time, and an unused baby seat was found in the boot of the car.

Four adults and a three-year-old child also in the vehicle were not seriously injured.

Waikato road policing manager Inspector Freda Grace said police were called on Wednesday morning about an unrestrained baby being breastfed by a front seat passenger at the Base Shopping Centre, in Te Rapa.

"A police foot patrol tried to get to the vehicle before it left but the driver had gone and units are currently working to locate and stop the car," she said.

Ms Grace said she was "gutted" about the incident, especially as it came in the same week as Alexandria's death.

"To now hear yesterday's loss hasn't deterred other parents or motorists travelling around with unsecured children in their cars reinforces why police will be running checkpoints throughout the week checking car restraints as just one part of the Road Safety Week campaign," she said.