Bailie French Obituary, Death; – A 7-year-old boy remained by his mother’s side for nearly 12 hours following a car accident on a California highway that resulted in the mother’s death over the weekend, according to reports.
The pair was returning to their residence in Tollhouse from a friend’s home on Saturday night when the mother lost control of their Subaru Crosstrek, causing the vehicle to veer off Highway 168 in Auberry, as reported by ABC 30 and the Los Angeles Times, referencing the California Highway Patrol.
The vehicle was subsequently discovered nearly 200 feet down an embankment after rolling over multiple times, authorities informed ABC 30. “It was essentially situated in a grove of trees, obscured from view of the highway,” stated CHP officer John Marsh to ABC 30.
Authorities indicated that both the mother and son were ejected from the vehicle. While the mother succumbed to her injuries, the boy survived and remained with her for approximately 12 hours until he was found walking alone on a mountain road, as reported by the LA Times.
“We received a report of a child walking along the four-lane section of Highway 168, and those who discovered the child proceeded to the location of the crash,” Marsh explained, according to ABC 30.
A lookout alert was issued as the CHP had been searching for the mother and son after they failed to return home as anticipated, with reports indicating they were still unaccounted for on Sunday morning. The boy was spotted before noon walking along the shoulder of the highway near the crash site. The 7-year-old was transported to a local hospital for treatment of various injuries, including a broken arm, and was later reunited with his father, as reported by ABC 30.
The CHP has not yet responded to USA TODAY’s request for additional details regarding the crash and its circumstances. However, ABC 30 and the LA Times noted that the cause of the accident remains under investigation, with the CHP awaiting toxicology results to ascertain whether alcohol or drugs played a role. Authorities suspect that neither the mother nor the son was wearing seatbelts at the time of the incident.
Authorities believe both the mother and son were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, the media reports said. The victim was identified as 30-year-old Bailie French, of Yokuts Valley, by the Fresno County Coroner’s Office,
