Father tries to kill his son by crashing car while toddler’s seatbelt unbuckled

Recovery: Isaiah, two, suffered serious injuries in the crash
GoFundMe
Sebastian Mann31 August 2016
WEST END FINAL

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A father attempted to kill his two-year-old son by crashing a car at up to 75mph while the toddler’s seatbelt was unfastened, US authorities say.

Nathan Weitzel, 29, purposefully failed to buckle in the toddler before wrecking the vehicle because “he did not think he was man enough to raise a child”, according to arrest documents.

Isaiah suffered cuts, concussion and a broken leg in the crash on August 21 but his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening, the Denver Post reported.

According to an affidavit, Weitzel told investigators he drove around Arapahoe County, Colorado, looking for “a good place to crash the car and kill his son”.

Accused: Nathan Weitzel (Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office)
Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office

He is also said to have admitted using cocaine before the incident.

Weitzel is charged with offences including attempted first-degree murder, child abuse resulting in serious injury, second-degree assault and vehicular assault, the Denver Post said.

A GoFundMe page has been set up in the wake of the tragedy to help pay for Isaiah’s treatment, raising about £15,000 ($20,000) in a week.

A post on the fundraising page reads: "Nancy Lopez is the loving and hardworking single mother of her son, Isaiah. On Sunday, Isaiah was a passenger involved in a life-threatening car accident.”

According to the description, Isaiah’s mother is having to take 10 weeks off work to care for her injured son.

“Although Nancy is trying hard to remain positive, she's struggling through the difficult process of helping her two-year-old son to recovery,” it says.

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