Infant remains in critical condition

A 4-month-old Coeur d’Alene girl remained in critical condition at Sacred Heart Medical Center Thursday, a day after a three-car collision near downtown Spokane, according to a hospital spokesman.

Chloe Avah Jensen suffered severe head injuries in the Wednesday accident, said her grandfather, Mark Jensen, also of Coeur d’Alene.

“She’s responding a little bit to touch,” Jensen said Thursday.

Spokane police said speed and alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the accident, which occurred around 11:10 a.m. at 300 N. Freya. However, investigators are continuing to examine whether appropriate restraints were used for the infant and two small children who were also in the car, according to a police press release.

The children’s mother, Eileen Jensen, 21, of Coeur d’Alene, was driving a 2001 Honda Accord when she rear-ended a minivan stopped in traffic. The van then hit a sedan, police said.

Chloe was restrained in a rear-facing child safety seat strapped into the front seat, Jensen said. The other children, McKenna, 4, and Peighton, 2, were secured with seat belts and a safety seat in the back, he added.

“Eileen is pretty meticulous about making sure everything is strapped in right,” he said.

Family members expressed appreciation to two strangers who offered aid to the children. A young woman gave CPR to Chloe until rescue workers arrived. A man in painter’s clothes tended to the older children, who were treated and released at Sacred Heart Medical Center, Jensen said.

The children’s father, Tyler Jensen, 22, is a construction worker who has no medical insurance coverage for his family, Mark Jensen said. An account to pay medical expenses for the baby has been established at First Bank Northwest. Contributions can be made at any local branch in care of Chloe Jensen.