A horrific car accident on Highway 101 left one man dead and other passengers injured. The accident involved a mother and her two children in a BMW vehicle and a man in a semi truck. The semi crashed into the vehicle while attempting to cross a bridge on the highway. The driver of the semi, a 48-year old man, died in the crash as his semi went over the bridge and caught fire upon slamming into the ground below. Luckily, the mother and both of her children, including an infant, survived the crash.

The BMW was perched on the edge of the highway, on a guardrail, as authorities began their rescue operations. The Jaws of Life had to be brought in to free the mother and her children from the vehicle. A group of U.S. Navy Seals that happened to be driving by the scene of the accident and stopped to provide additional help to the rescue crew.

Authorities believe that the car seat, which was properly installed in the vehicle, was what saved the infant's life. The infant sustained the most minor injuries in the accident as well. The infant, her 10-year old sister and the mother were taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries resulting from the tragic accident.

This accident demonstrates how important a properly installed car seat is to the safety of young children. This crash could have been much worse and far more tragic, but due to the mother's care, the child survived.

Chicago Tribune, "Car Seat Saves Infant's Life in Horrific Crash," Jennifer Newman, Jan. 18, 2012