‘Not taking care of their child’: 18-month-old killed in her own driveway while mom is ‘passed out’ in car next to her, cops say

Insets, left to right: Morgan Ottinger and Cameron Link (Harris County Sheriff’s Office). Background: Driveway at trailer park near Houston, Texas, where Ottinger’s daughter was hit and killed by a vehicle (KTRK/YouTube).

A mother and her boyfriend are behind bars after her 18-month-old daughter was hit and killed by a vehicle, authorities say.

It happened Saturday in Harris County, Texas, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez wrote on X (formerly Twitter). According to Gonzalez, the mother, 31-year-old Morgan Ottinger, and her 18-month-old daughter, Cora, were inside a vehicle in the driveway of her trailer in Tomball, which is near Houston. At some point, Ottinger “passed out” or fell asleep, Gonzalez said.

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The girl left the vehicle and was standing near it when her mother’s boyfriend 41-year-old Cameron Link came into the driveway in his car. Link struck the girl, Gonzalez said. Paramedics rushed to the scene but it was too late and they pronounced the girl dead on scene. Gonzalez said there was a “delay” in the suspects calling 911 but he did not expand upon the allegation.

Now Ottinger stands accused of child endangerment with serious bodily injury. Link had warrants out for his arrest on unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and theft and he was taken into custody. Gonzalez said Link showed no signs of impairment when he struck Cora.