Police: Toddler Ejected from Car During Crash, Mom Fled Scene

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (CBS NEWS) -- An Albuquerque woman is expected to face child abuse charges after she crashed on a busy freeway during rush hour and left behind her 18-month-old child, who was ejected from the vehicle, police said.

Georgette Vigil, 36, apparently lost control of the wheel of her SUV and slammed it into a concrete wall on Interstate 40 on Monday evening and then fled the scene of the crash, police said. Her toddler -- strapped into a car seat that was thrown from the vehicle -- was left behind on the roadside in chilly weather.

The child sustained cuts but did not suffer any life threatening injuries and is expected to survive, said Officer Tanner Tixier, a police spokesman.

After the wreck, officers discovered a 3-year-old also was in the car. That child did not appear hurt, but police said they took precautions to get the child checked for injuries at a hospital.

The mother was taken into custody at an apartment complex 2 miles from the crash late Monday and taken to a hospital for a severe cut on her forehead.

Police are also seeking to identify and find a man who was in Vigil's vehicle when it crashed and who ran from the scene. "Officers are continuing to investigate this complicated and heartbreaking case and are still gathering information," Tixier said.

CBS affiliate KRQE reported that the man allegedly bolted on foot.

Police have not said how long the child was on the highway before help arrived.

Officers who located Vigil reported she appeared intoxicated. She is expected to be charged with child abuse upon her release from the hospital, Tixier said.

It was not known Tuesday if Vigil had an attorney, and the public defenders office did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

KRQE reported that Vigil does not have a previous criminal record.