CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Union County Sheriff’s detectives have filed criminal charges against a Charlotte mother for driving around barricades on NC 218 that resulted in the tragic drowning death of her one-year-old son last month following Hurricane Florence.
According to deputies, 20-year-old Dazia Ideah Lee, of Charlotte faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter and a misdemeanor charge of driving on a closed/unopened highway in connection with the death of her son, Kaiden Lee-Welch.
The Union County Sheriff's Office said Lee was driving along NC 218 in Union County when she came upon a barricaded road and eventually got trapped in rushing floodwaters.
"She was a stranger to the area, driving to just be with her family," the Sheriff said. "Her car got caught in the water and was forced onto an open field."
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Sheriff’s deputies served Lee with a Criminal Summons and she is due in court on November 20, 2018.
Sheriff Eddie Cathey stated, “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.”
