Samantha Russell pregnant Wichita, Kansas woman killed in car crash as doctors deliver unborn child that survives. Brandon Russell husband reflects bitter sweet.
A pregnant Kansas woman was killed when a fleeing robbery suspect slammed into her car, only for doctors to miraculously deliver the woman’s unborn child, according to her husband and local reports.
Brandon Russell said his wife Samantha Russell left behind a ‘beautiful gift of life’ before she died of injuries she sustained in Tuesday’s crash.
The 22-year-old expecting mother was waiting at a stop light in Wichita at around 5 p.m. when a man in a pickup truck ran through the red light and hit her vehicle, as well as two others, KAKE reported.
Samantha, who was 33 weeks pregnant, (full term pregnancy is anywhere from 33-37 weeks) was rushed to an area hospital, where she was pronounced dead two hours later.
But her baby, a boy named Mac, was delivered in the in the immediate aftermath of the crash, the Wichita Eagle reported.
‘She was an all-around good person who did not deserve to die…’
The infant was initially ‘not doing so great,’ but has since improved and ‘is expected to pull through,’ though he remains hospitalized, Brandon told the Wichita Eagle.
‘Sammy was taken from us but left behind the most beautiful gift of life,’ he wrote on Facebook Wednesday, sharing a photo of himself cradling his son.
The grieving father said that Samantha, ‘was going to be a fantastic mother.’
He remembered his late wife as kind, driven and a hard worker, writing that she ‘always knew what to say when I was going through an issue or needed advice.’
‘She was an all-around good person who did not deserve to die on impact from a reckless driver,’ Brandon wrote. ‘She showed happiness to everyone and anyone that she knew.’
Police were able to identify and arrest Jaime Chavez, 34, of Wichita, for the alleged robbery. The other man, identified as Javan Ervin, who was the designated driver, took off, leading officers on a chase.
Authorities called off the chase due to high speed and traffic conditions, but Ervin continued speeding.
Two men in custody
He hit several cars, including Russell’s which was hit so hard that it rolled.
Ervin who was now in custody, was suspected of being involved in the robbing a hotel when he took off in his Dodge pickup, cops said. No one else was killed in the crash.
He was charged with first-degree murder in commission of a felony, aggravated battery and criminal possession of a firearm.
A GoFundMe has been set up for the family. The original goal was $5,000. As of Thursday night, just over $61,000 had been raised.
