The father of a 4-year-old that was killed in a car crash in Tennessee had initially demanded for authorities to press charges against the driver, but now is facing charges of his own.
4-year-old Malaysia was killed in Cordova last summer, and the driver behind the accident, Melvin Owens, Jr., was indicted several months ago on vehicular homicide, according to FOX13.
But in a strange twist, Malaysia's father, Marcus Turner, has also been indicted for reportedly "not making sure each child in the car had on their seatbelt."
"They said, 'Dad, we want to go pick up Auntie.' Their great aunt. So they just begged me and begged me and begged me to go, so I said, 'OK. I am going to take them with me," Turner told FOX13 in a previous interview.
Antoinette Johnson, Malaysia's mother, told the media outlet that while the other man was responsible for causing the wreck, he was not the cause of her daughter's death.
On Friday, Turner was booked into the Shelby County jail on a $250,000 bond.
He's looking at several aggravated child abuse charges for allegedly failing to buckle his kids with safety belts in his car on the night of the deadly crash in July 2023.
"I know I will probably never get an apology from him," Johnson said, "but I just want him to apologize for not having my baby's seatbelt on and my baby no longer being here."
Johnson wants justice for her daughter but also hopes Malaysia's death may save another child's life.
"I be wanting to pull over and say, 'Ma'am, put your kids in seatbelts,'" she explained, referring to when she sees children in cars unrestrained.
"My child lost their life; she had her whole life ahead of her, and due to an adult not properly restraining a child, she is no longer here with us today," added the grieving mother.
