An eight-year-old Kansas girl died in a car crash on Sunday after her grandfather allegedly told her it was OK to drive the vehicle they were in.
The third grader, identified as Cadence Orcutt, was in a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt with her grandfather, Dennis Eugene Meers, 56, when she lost control of the car. The vehicle veered off the road and into an embankment, landing upside down.
It’s not known what injuries Meers sustained in the single-vehicle collision, but he was rushed to hospital following the accident. And according to authorities, Cadence was not wearing a seatbelt.
The eight-year-old girl’s parents remembered their daughter as someone who enjoyed playing sports, especially softball.
Since the accident, Orcutt has reportedly received harsh criticism regarding her parenting skills. Orcutt took to Facebook to address the backlash, saying in part:
“For all the judgemental people saying bad things about me and my parenting skills there’s one thing you all should know I am so over protective of my children.”
Orcutt also gave advice to parents by saying they should hold “their babies extra tight and [realize] how lucky [they] are.”
Officials say possible charges may be laid once a final report has been completed.
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