Alcohol factor in crash that killed 3-year-old girl, injured sister in Dolton, police say

DOLTON, Ill. (WLS) -- A 3-year-old girl is dead and her 4-year-old sister was injured after a serious crash in south suburban Dolton Saturday night.

The tragic story could have possibly been avoided, after police confirmed Sunday that they believe the driver of the vehicle that caused the deadly crash was under the influence of alcohol.

The crash happened at East 138th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue in Dolton, according to police.

Victim advocate and Dolton Trustee Andrew Holmes said Dolton police believe the crash was caused by a female driver who was under the the influence of alcohol and speeding when she ran into the girl's family vehicle

Both girls were ejected from the car.

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The kids were transported to Comer Children's Hospital, where Layla Nesbitt, 3, later died from her injuries.

She liked music, dancing and TikTok, her family said. She was going into kindergarten.

"If I could ask for one thing, I just want her back," said the girls' grandmother, Danielle Forrest. "She was three years old. She didn't deserve what happened to her."

A'miya Nesbitt, 4, had surgery on her stomach and is in a lot of pain, but is doing okay, her family said.

To say the girls' family is devastated is an understatement. A large number of relatives coming together at Comer Children's Hospital to support Layla and A'miya's mother and grandmother as they try to cope with the loss of one girl and the recovery of another.

"I just don't understand why it had to happen to my grandbaby. She was so innocent. She had a lot of life in her," Forrest said.

All the while, another relative, who was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash also remains in the hospital at the University of Chicago.

The offending driver also remains hospitalized with minor injuries.

"This could have been prevented," said community activists Andrew Holmes. "This family will be hurting for the rest of their life."

The Dolton Police Chief told ABC7 that they have not charged the driver of the vehicle at fault yet, but that will change once she is released from the hospital. She faces both aggravated dui and aggravated homicide charges, police said.