Mother Of 1-Year-Old Swept Away By Hurricane Florence Floodwaters Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter

A North Carolina woman who lost her 1-year-old son after he was swept away in floodwaters during Hurricane Florence is now facing multiple charges in connection with the death of her son. According to Fox46 Charlotte, Dazia Ideah Lee, 20, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and driving on a closed/unopened highway, in connection to the death of her son, Kaiden Lee Welch. Lee was driving with her son as Union County was dealing with flooding and other effects from the hurricane when her car was swept off the road as she tried to drive over a bridge. The mother was able to get out of her seat and get Kaiden out of his car seat, but as she was trying to get them to safety, she lost grip of her son. The sheriff’s office accused Lee of driving down a road that was blocked off. Lee claims that the barricades were unclear, and said that it was possible that someone had moved them. “The tragic death of this child and the circumstances surrounding this case are heartbreaking. We continue to pray for all those suffering as a result of this child’s death. However, after a very thorough investigation and taking all facts into consideration and applying the law, we feel that these charges are appropriate,” Union County Sheriff Eddie Cathey said, according to the news station. Which means Lee is facing more punishment than she is already subjecting to herself to, for the loss of her son. Lee described to The Washington Post back in September about the painstaking decisions she made that fateful night when she lost a hold of her son in the torrent of flood waters on Sept. 16.

“The only thing she ever wanted was to protect him,” her sister, Kaila Lee, told the Post at the time. “As soon as he came out of the womb. . . . Whenever he was crying, she was always the first one to go. My mom or I would go and check on him, but she was always already there, feeding him.”

Kaiden’s body was found 15 feet under water on Sept. 17.

“I did everything I could,” the grieving mother added. “From the moment I was pregnant until the moment I lost him. I did everything I could to save and protect him.”

And now the charges, which Dazia Lee told Fox46 that she did not expect to come a month after her son’s death. On top of the fact that Lee has been subject to cruel comments from strangers online due to the incident .

Dazie Lee, who was served a criminal summons, is due in court on Nov. 20.