A mother from Minnesota is now facing charges of endangering a 20-month-old child after video showed a car seat, with her child strapped into it, tumbling out of a moving car.
Maimuna Kunow Hassan, 40, could face up to a year behind bars and a $3,000 fine, KMSP reported.
Police said Hassan, of Mankato, Minnesota, did not secure the car seat correctly. She is also charged with improperly restraining her child in the car seat and violating an instructional driver's permit that requires a licensed driver in the car with her. She did not have another licensed driver with her at the the time of the incident, police told KMSP.
Police were alerted to the child falling out of the car by an eyewitness who told police that he saw a car seat fall from a car and into the road as the car drove off.
Officers identified Hassan, who had walked up to police with another child as officials interviewed witnesses. Hassan, crying, then hugged the child who had fallen from the car, KMSP reported.
Officers said Hassan told them the door of the car opened as she drove and the toddler fell out. She parked the car farther down the road, walking back to where the child fell. She told police that the child was secure in the car and had unlocked the door.
A police officer said the car seat's chest straps were not closed and there was not a LATCH strap to connect the car seat to the vehicle. Hassan's car was LATCH-compatible, police said, but there was not a seat restraint system in the car, KMSP reported.
Hassan is scheduled to appear in court next month.
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