Staff Report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Christina Shantell Gordan, 29, is facing serious charges after a complaint was filed accusing her of vehicular manslaughter following a tragic crash in July that claimed the lives of her two young children, who were not properly restrained.

According to the Gainesville Police Department’s findings, the incident took place around 6:07 a.m. on July 10. Gordan was driving west on SW Williston Road when another vehicle, attempting to turn left onto I-75, failed to yield, resulting in a collision. Witnesses at the scene found a six-month-old infant on the floor between Gordan’s legs and were informed by her of a second child, a 22-month-old, who was discovered on the front passenger floor. Both children were rushed to UF Health Shands in critical condition but unfortunately did not survive.

Investigators noted the absence of child seats in the passenger area of Gordan’s vehicle, with only one infant car seat, lacking its base, located in the trunk. The locked position of the seatbelts in the front confirmed that no one in the vehicle was wearing a seatbelt during the crash.

Gordan admitted to an officer on-site that she was not wearing a seatbelt and revealed that she had placed both children in the front passenger seat without securing them with seatbelts.

Post Miranda, Gordan reportedly said she had just passed McDonald’s on Williston Road and was headed “toward Archer” when she was hit, and she said that both children were in the front passenger seat with the seatbelt on, but GPD’s investigation found that this was incorrect, based on the evidence in the vehicle and Gordan’s statements, which were captured on an officer’s body-worn camera.

The investigation found that the infant was probably sitting on Gordan’s lap at the time of the crash, and the toddler was probably in the passenger seat, unrestrained.

According to a witness who was interviewed later, Gordan owned car seats for the children and normally transported the children in the vehicle she drove on the day of the accident.

The investigation found that Gordan caused the deaths of the children by culpable negligence by not securing them in child safety seats. The investigation concludes, “[Gordan’s] failure and omission to secure the [victims] in car seats in the rear of the vehicle, as dictated by state law, led to catastrophic injuries, resulting in death from a car crash.”

A warrant for Gordan’s arrest has not been issued, and Gordan has not been arrested.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.