Aurora child dies as mom crashes car rushing her to hospital
Authorities say a 3-year-old Aurora girl died from a medical condition rather than injuries from a crash Monday as her mother rushed her to a hospital.
Kayla Bell, of the 1500 block of Victoria Park Circle, was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora, where her mother, Carla A. Bell, was trying to take her for treatment for an asthma attack.
Police said Carla Bell’s 2002 Subaru Outback sideswiped a 2003 Jeep Liberty on southbound Waterford Drive near Fox Pointe Drive about 5:50 p.m. Monday. She apparently tried to pass the Jeep, then saw oncoming traffic and swerved back into her lane, according to police. Her vehicle collided with the Jeep, left the road and hit a fence.
Preliminary results from an autopsy by the Kane County coroner’s office Tuesday determined 3-year-old Kayla died of an unspecified medical issue unrelated to the crash. There were no signs of foul play, authorities said.
Police said an officer conducting a traffic stop in the area immediately responded to the crash on the city’s far east side and administered CPR until paramedics arrived. Authorities noted it was a short distance between the hospital and Kayla’s home, roughly two miles away.
According to the preliminary police investigation, Carla Bell, 30, was driving her daughter to the hospital because the girl apparently was suffering from an asthma attack and having trouble breathing.
“While it’s always best to call 911 because paramedics have advanced lifesaving equipment on the ambulances, and obviously first responders are trained at getting to calls safely and in the most efficient manner, the fact of the matter is that in this particular instance the mother did not live far from the hospital, so one could understand why she made this type of decision,” Aurora Police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said. “It’s just a terrible tragedy.”
Kayla’s mother was treated at Rush-Copley for head injuries. The driver and passenger in the Jeep did not need medical attention, police said.
No citations were issued, pending further investigation.