A pregnant woman died early Tuesday morning after the car she was riding in crashed into Bay Area Hospital, and warrants are being secured against a 43-year-old woman in her death.
The woman who died, who has been identified by family members as 25-year-old Destiny Cortinas, was in a car driven by her mother, according to the father of Cortinas' baby.
Corpus Christi Police Department Public Information Officer Gena Peña said the baby Cortinas was carrying survived after being delivered via emergency caesarian section, and is reportedly in stable condition.
Cortinas' mother, who reportedly was driving, approached the hospital from its driveway on SPID. Peña said the driver stopped, and suddenly drove through a traffic arm which separates employee parking from public parking at a high speed, and crashed into a wall on the hospital's premises.
Cortinas' injuries required emergency surgery, and she later died of her injuries.
Peña said the older woman, and a boy in the back seat of the vehicle, were treated for serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. Both remain in the hospital, but Peña said the woman is expected to be arrested on charges of intoxication manslaughter and two countds of injury to a child when she is released.
The boy in the car is Cortinas' brother, according to the father of Cortinas' baby.
Peña said the cause of the accident is still under investigation, but that a blood sample was taken from the woman and sent to the Department of Public Safety laboratories after police at the scene spoke with her and suspected she could be under the influence of an unknown substance. Police said they have enough probable cause to make the arrest.
Helping hands
Veronica Garibay said she doesn’t know Cortinas or her family, but she wanted to do something to help.
“To know that the baby is going to growing up without a mom,” Garibay said. “That's the main thing that you need in a family is your mom. I mean that stability. It's just very heartbreaking.”
She is not only donating some Pampers for the child, but on Dec. 31, she will hold a diaper drive at the Sage West Apartments to collect other baby items for Cortinas' baby.
If anyone wants to donate, they are asked to call Garibay’s cell phone at (361) 249-7993.
This is a developing story. Check back with kristv.com for updates.
