John Jefferson
Background: The scene where a child was hit by a car at Ceder Glen Apartments in Indiana (WNDU). Inset: Jasmine White (St. Joseph County Jail).
An Indiana mom is headed to prison for accidentally running over her 8-year-old daughter while playing a game with her kids in which she would drive away and pretend to abandon them.
Jasmine White, 27, was sentenced to nine years behind bars with five suspended, meaning she will serve four years in prison with work release, according to the St. Joseph Prosecutor’s Office. White pleaded guilty in January to child neglect charges and was sentenced on Friday, records show. She will serve her time at the St. Joseph Correctional Center and will be on probation for two years following her release.
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As Law&Crime previously reported, White was playing what one of her children said was a game in which White races her kids to the car, locks the doors, and acts as if she is going to leave them behind.
One of her daughters is said to have got her foot caught under the rear tire of the car as it was moving and she was pulled to the ground. She reportedly fractured her skull and also suffered orbital fractures, bruises, and a cut on her face so deep it reached the bone. The girl also lost five teeth, local NBC affiliate WNDU reported.
The incident occurred on Aug. 29, 2024, at an apartment complex in South Bend. White’s daughter spent several days in the hospital including intubation and IV sedation, but she has reportedly been released.
One of the girl’s siblings described the game to investigators, WNDU reported. She reportedly said that White was driving faster than usual and the 8-year-old was holding onto the door handle when she was run over.
Video footage reportedly shows White speeding up at the same time her daughter was hanging on to the passenger door handle, allegedly reaching speeds of 15 to 20 mph.
Marisa Sarnoff contributed to this report
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