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Parents Of Infant Injured In Crash: 'Car Seats Save Lives'

DENVER (CBS4)- A six-week old infant badly injured in a rollover crash on Monday has been improving and her parents are urging others to install their car seats correctly.

Lizbeth McComas remains hospitalized but has been upgraded to serious condition and her neck brace has been removed. Her parents have been allowed to hold her and she is eating.

"She's my world. I love her so much," said Lizbeth's mother Shalimar McComas.

Lizbeth's parents tried to have a baby for five years and they are thankful their daughter is recovering.

The six-week old was strapped inside her car seat while Shalimar was driving their Dodge Caliber along Parker Road in Aurora when a Jeep Cherokee smashed into them from behind. Both vehicles rolled.

"I was like, 'Okay, Lord help me.' I was rolling in the ditch and I heard my baby crying and when the car stopped my immediate thought was, baby, baby," said Shalimar.

Doctors said it is amazing Lizbeth survived and Shalimar walked away with only scrapes on her hand and head.

"I really don't know where I would be if anything happened to both of them at this point," said Lizbeth's father Jason McComas.

The couple used a Costco infant car seat and credits it for saving their baby's life.

"It doesn't matter what car seat you use, they all are rated at the same level," said Rose Medical Center Child Safety Specialist Jerry Griffin.

Griffin said the key is making sure the car seat is used and installed properly.

First, Griffin said to try the pinch test, "So if you can pinch the fabric, it's too loose on the child."

Next, the car seat base shouldn't move more than an inch from side to side, "You want it snug but it's okay that it's coming up like this. It should pivot, it's the design behind the seat."

The car seat should also be at the right angle, "Your recline indicator is on the seat. It has two red arrows that point to a window, inside the window it should be dark blue on this particular seat."

RELATED LINKS: safekids.org

Toys for Tots | Car Seats Colorado -- CDOT

Lizbeth's parents are thankful she continues to recover and are looking forward to the day they can take her home from the hospital.

"I feel like God was saying, 'It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay," said Shalimar.

Police say the investigation is far from over and charges have not yet been filed against the driver of the Jeep.

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