An Indiana mother has been arrested after allegedly running over her 8-year-old daughter while playing a dangerous game where she pretended to drive away but instead left the child behind with severe head injuries, according to police.
Jasmine Lashaun White, 27, was taken into custody on Sept. 11, nearly two weeks after the tragic episode, which police believed was no accident.
White faces charges of neglect of a dependent causing serious injury, and placing a dependent in danger after allegedly running over her daughter, who was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
She made her first court appearance Monday afternoon where she pleaded not guilty, according to St. Joseph County Jail records. There is no indication that she posted bail which was set at $50,000, whether she has a lawyer, or if she still retains custody of her children following the disturbing events of Aug. 29.
The incident was caught on video surveillance at Cedar Glen Apartments in South Bend, where White initiated a “game” that involved her 8-year-old and several siblings running alongside the family’s Chevrolet Equinox, according to NBC affiliate WNDU.
Investigators said the girl’s foot became trapped under the rear tire of her mother’s moving car, dragging her to the ground where she was later found with skull and orbital fractures, multiple abrasions, a large facial laceration exposing part of her skull, as well as five lost teeth.
Miraculously, the girl survived, but only after spending several days intubated and under IV sedation before she was released from the hospital, according to court records.
A 6-year-old in the group told investigators that their mom routinely played the game, where she would race them to the car, lock the doors, and drive away, pretending that she was going to leave them behind.
Through interviews with the other children, investigators learned that White was driving faster than normal this time, while the 8-year-old was holding onto the door handle when she was run over, falling and hitting her head.
News of the incident didn’t sit well with readers who questioned why a mother would play such a dangerous game with her children. “What kind of game is that?” asked one reader on Lipstick Alley forum.
Another added, “This is wtf I wanna know because she HAD to have seen that baby struggling if she was still holding on to the passenger side door. Smh.”
At least one reader felt sympathy for the young mother. “Honestly I think this was an accident. I don’t think she neglects her children. In the mug shot she looks like she was just crying,” the user wrote.
“A game? In a Chevy Equinox? Wtf? Praying for baby girls recovery and I hope somebody give the mama a few head injuries,” wrote another.
According to charging documents, video footage shows the Equinox accelerating while the 8-year-old was still holding onto the front passenger door handle. It is estimated that White was driving at approximately 15 to 20 miles per hour when the girl fell.
Police did not disclose what actions White took immediately after the accident or whether she was the person who took the child to the hospital.
