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Vigil held for 4-year-old thrown from car in fatal I-75 crash
After the crash that killed 4-year-old Ja’Quavious King-Baskin, his mother was arrested for failing a field sobriety test. She spoke with FOX 2 at his vigil on Friday, one day after being released.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A candlelight vigil was held in honor of a 4-year-old boy who died after being ejected during a three-car crash along I-75 in Detroit earlier this week.
Family and friends say Ja’Quavious King-Baskin was very sweet and outgoing. He loved Blippi educational videos, steak and noodles, cars and trucks.
"He was full of life. He was my everything," said Ja’Quavious' mother, Shaniqua Baskin – who was arrested at the scene of the crash after police say she failed a field sobriety test.
According to Michigan State Police, Baskin did not strap her son into a kid-friendly car seat before driving on Monday. Troopers found Ja’Quavious unresponsive on the ground when they arrived, performed CPR and transported him to a local hospital. However, he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Baskin was released on Thursday, awaiting blood alcohol test results. The mother spoke with FOX 2 at the Friday vigil and denied allegations that she was intoxicated at the time of the crash.
"I’m (shaken) up, I have my child on the ground – of course I can’t walk a straight line. I can barely breathe," Baskin said. "Anybody that know Shaniqua, they know Shaniqua doesn’t drink at all."
Baskin believes the brakes in her car failed, causing her to crash, and said that she forgot to put her son in the car seat.
Her blood alcohol test results could determine possible charges. Baskin's 6-year-old daughter was taken away from her by Child Protective Services after the accident.
Meanwhile, Ja’Quavious' loved ones are remembering him for his endearing character.
"His personality is just unbelievable. He was advanced for his age," the 4-year-old's father, Jermaine King, said. "You would love him when you first meet him."
During the vigil, attendees held balloons in Ja’Quavious' favorite colors – orange, blue and white.
"He was very, very happy, outgoing. He loved to play, he loved to give me a hug every time he saw me," said Gloria Williams, Ja’Quavious' maternal grandmother. "I’m really at a loss for words right now. Only thing I can do is pray. That's all I can do – pray for deliverance and pray for peace."
About 15 minutes after the three-car crash that killed Ja’Quavious, another crash on I-75 followed, according to MSP. A woman in her 70s was driving northbound on I-75 near Canfield when she rear-ended the car in front of her. The passenger, her 91-year-old husband, died from the crash.
As a result, MSP Lt. Mike Shaw warned drivers on Tuesday to, once again, be more careful – saying these crashes "were all preventable."
Deadly wrecks on I-75 in metro Detroit another example of preventable accidents, state police say
A 91-year-old man and a 4-year-old child died in separate crashes on I-75 near I-94 on Monday afternoon. Both were preventable, state police said.