Woman illegally in U.S. charged in crash that killed 14-month-old niece

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A woman has been charged in connection with a two-car wreck that happened last Wednesday north of uptown Charlotte and killed her 14-month-old niece, police said.

Officials with the Charlotte Fire Department said the crash happened in the 1500 block of North Graham Street, which was shut down between Dalton and Plymouth avenues.

Authorities with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said the driver of a 2005 Toyota Corolla, 33-year-old Dora Del Carmen Sosa, was traveling northbound on North Graham Street near Plymouth Avenue behind a large truck, possibly a dump truck or trash truck. Her 14-month-old niece was in the car.

[ [PHOTOS: Serious crash closes part of North Graham Street] ]

CMPD officials said Sosa changed lanes to pass, but there was a pickup truck stopped and waiting to turn left, so she swerved around the pickup into oncoming lanes, striking a Toyota Camry driven by 43-year-old David Collins Jr. that was heading south.

MEDIC took the drivers and child to Carolinas Medical Center-Main. The drivers sustained serious injuries, while the child had life-threatening injuries.

The child later died.

According to investigators, the young girl was in an infant carrier, but it was not being used correctly and she was not properly restrained.

Detectives said they believed the misuse of the child passenger seat was a contributing factor in the death. Speed and alcohol were not considered contributing factors.

On Tuesday, Del Carmen Sosa was released from CMC and taken to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, where she was served with warrants for involuntary manslaughter, felony child abuse and no operator’s license.

Officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told Channel 9 that Del Carmen Sosa, from Honduras, was in the country illegally. ICE agents have taken her into custody.

Del Carmen Sosa was previously ordered removed from the United States by a federal immigration judge in September 2005, officials said.

CMPD officials said the investigation remains active and ongoing.

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