Father of 3-year-old Callaway County crash victim remembers daughter
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Macon, Missouri, man is grieving the loss of his daughter Trinity, who was killed when a car rolled on a snowy Highway 54 exit ramp on Wednesday in Holts Summit.
The one-vehicle crash happened at about 7 a.m. at the Simon Boulevard exit ramp, Holts Summit police wrote in a news release. The 3-year-old was found pinned beneath the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene, despite lifesaving efforts, the release says
A crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol states a 29-year-old man was driving a 1998 Ford Explorer on the exit ramp of Highway 54 to Simon Road. Troopers said three people were in the car -- including the young girl and an infant. The man had moderate injuries while the infant did not have any injuries.
The man who drove the vehicle was not her father.
The girl's father Coby Durham said amid the unimaginable, he is remembering his daughter Trinity for the light that she was to everyone who knew her.
"She was like the light of my life," Durham said. "Every person who's ever met her loved her. She was extremely smart. She always gives you the thumbs up when she was happy."
He said he will miss watching her favorite shows with her.
"I watched the Trolls with her," Durham said. "It was her favorite thing. And then now she's into Bluey. She watched Bluey all the time. She would sing all those songs and sit there and dance."
He described the moment he learned of his daughter's passing.
"I was at work and my boss calls me into the office and the police was there," Durham said. "The captain of the police station, he said, 'Your daughter Trinity got into a bad car accident and passed away.' I just cried my eyes out because I couldn't believe it. Only thing I could think about was every moment I ever had with her."
Durham said if his daughter's car seat been properly secured, she would still be here.
MSHP Troop F spokesman Kyle Green said on Wednesday that both children were in car seats, but were not properly secured to the vehicle.
There are multiple resources available across Mid-Missouri that can help ensure car seats are correctly installed.
Safe Kids Columbia is a local resource that aims to improve childhood protection. It is a branch of the nonprofit Safe Kids Worldwide. One service Safe Kids Columbia offers is free demonstrations and inspections on how to properly buckle a car seat into a vehicle. They have multiple locations where people can book an appointment for an inspection.
People can also contact the Voluntary Action Center to receive a voucher for a free car seat from Safe Kids.
