Staff report

A toddler was killed early Monday when the vehicle in which she was traveling rear-ended a dump truck on State Highway 124 near Smith Road.

The Texas Department of Public Safety said in an issued statement that the collision occurred around 6:45 a.m. when a southbound 2008 International dump truck first slowed and then stopped for a vehicle to turn left from SH 124 into a private driveway.

DPS said that was when Terea McEachern, 60, of Beaumont, headed south in a 2005 Toyota passenger vehicle, collided with the truck. McEachern was taken to St. Elizabeth’s with serious injuries.

DPS said McEachern’s granddaughter, 2, was also transported to St. Elizabeth’s with critical injuries and was pronounced dead by emergency room personnel.

“Preliminary reports indicated that the child was not properly secured in car seat safety system,” DPS said.

The investigation was continuing, DPS said.