VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A woman speeding at 91 mph with her two children unsecured inside the vehicle was arrested, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said Carolyn Poitier, 25, was arrested just after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday after being pulled over in DeLand with a 4-year-old girl and 2-year-old boy in the car.
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According to an incident report, Poitier was pulled over near International Speedway Boulevard and Amelia Avenue while speeding at 91 mph in a 50 mph area. When deputies approached the vehicle, they observed two children — asleep in the front passenger seat and in the backseat — and not secured in any car seat, the report said.
Deputies said the mother told them she was driving to Daytona Beach to pick up her boyfriend and had left her home late. The report said Poitier told deputies she owns car seats but they were in another vehicle and she chose the one she was driving because she did not want to put the children in car seats since they were sleeping.
The sheriff’s office said there were pills found in the center console of the vehicle. Poitier faces charges of child neglect and possession of narcotics.
Both children are safe but the sheriff’s office said it wants to also use the case as a reminder to parents to use car seats and contact the Safe Kids organization for any help.
“Whether they were in the front seat or the back seat - they were both just laying on the seat. I have seen that more than one time,” said Cher Philio, with Safe Kids Volusia and Flagler counties.
Philio said it doesn’t take a major accident for a child to get hurt. It’s why they set out to teach parents how to properly install a car seat and help them get seats for much cheaper if needed.
“The weight of the child times the speed equals the crash force that would be needed to hold that child from moving out of place,” she said.
Anyone in need of a free car seat of assistance in installing them correctly in Volusia or Flagler counties can contact Safe Kids at 386-425-7920.