A tragic accident is ending with criminal charges. Find out why a mother who failed to properly restrain her child in a car seat is now facing manslaughter charges months after a tragic crash.
A Terrible Accident
On the night of March 5, 2023, 21-year-old Nevaeh Goldsborough was driving her Hyundai Sonata on the Selmon Expressway in Tampa, Florida. In the car with her were three small children, including her 11-month-old son, and a 27-year-old man.
Under Florida law, each child in the car should have been properly restrained in the vehicle. Any child under the age of five is required to be seated in a crash-tested, federally-approved child restraint.
Around 11:35 p.m., Goldsborough is said to have been driving recklessly. As her vehicle approached the 50th Street exit on the Selmon Expressway, the car was going 26 mph over the speed limit. Goldsborough’s car then crashed into a guardrail before going into another lane of traffic where it collided with a Hyundai Sonata.
Goldsborough and all three children were thrown from the vehicle.
An investigation would later find that none of the children were properly restrained in the vehicle, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times.
Related: Injured in a Car Accident? Here’s What You Need to Do Right Away.
The Tragic Consequences
Goldsborough’s adult passenger, the 2-year-old boy in her car, and the two adult passengers in the Hyundai Sonata sustained minor injuries.
Goldsborough was seriously injured along with the two other children in her vehicle. The 4-year-old girl in the car recovered, but the 11-month-old died from his injuries.
Now, months after the accident, Goldsborough is facing criminal charges for the improper restraint of the children in her vehicle.
On September 4, 2023, Goldsborough was charged with one count of aggravated manslaughter of a child and two counts of child neglect. She was booked into the Hillsborough County jail and released two days later on $17,000 bail.
Related: If You’re Arrested for a Crime, Immediately Take These 6 Steps
Three Serious Criminal Charges
If Goldsborough had been pulled over before the accident, she would have faced consequences for failing to restrain the children in proper car seats. The fine for a child restraint violation is $60 and three points on a license.
But Goldsborough is now facing much more serious charges.
Because two children were injured in the accident, Goldsborough is facing two counts of child neglect.
Child neglect is defined under Florida Statute 827.03 and refers to a caregiver’s failure to provide a child with the care, supervision, and services necessary to maintain the child’s physical and mental health. When child neglect leads to serious bodily harm, the charges can be punishable by up to 15 years in prison or 15 years probation and a $10,000 fine.
Goldsborough also faces another serious charge.
Because a child died in the accident, Goldsborough is facing one count of aggravated manslaughter.
Manslaughter is defined under Florida Statute 782.07 and refers to causing the death of another person by culpable negligence. Manslaughter differs from murder because in a murder charge, there is intent to kill another person. In a manslaughter charge, there is no premeditation to kill another person.
Florida Statute 782.07 (3) specifically refers to a person who causes the death of any person under the age of 18. It is considered aggravated manslaughter of a child and is a first-degree felony. The charge is punishable by up to life in prison, life on probation, and a $10,000 fine. The minimum punishment for the charge is 13 years in prison.
Goldsborough faces serious legal consequences for the failure to restrain the children in her vehicle.
Related: Parents Charged with Manslaughter After Their Toddler Left in Car Dies
Talk to an Experienced Attorney
The law has many different lawyers. Breaking the law can have varying consequences depending on multiple factors. If you are facing any type of legal charge, make sure you fully understand all angles of your case. Talk to an experienced attorney who can help you see all sides of the situation.
If you are involved in a civil or criminal case, have a trusted attorney by your side. Review your case, and see how TJ Grimaldi can guide you through a pending legal matter. Schedule your free consultation or call 813-226-1023 now.
TJ Grimaldi joined McIntyre in 2011. McIntyre recruited TJ to create the divisions of personal injury and family law, as well as to expand the existing criminal defense practice at the firm. During TJ’s tenure at McIntyre, he has helped oversee and grow these practice areas. He continues to practice in these divisions while also expanding his own practice areas to include estate planning and immigration law. TJ is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Florida and the United States District Court for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida.
