A Metro Atlanta mother has been charged after a video went viral online showing her driving her car on a road with her son peeking out of the trunk. The mom says, “There’s more to the story. I would never intentionally put him in danger.”
The woman has been identified as 36-year-old Diana Shaffer, who is from Gwinnett County and claims she never told her 12-year-old son to ever get in the trunk of a gray Dodge Challenger. She additionally admits that she recognizes she made a mistake, but doesn’t want the viral video and her arrest to overshadow the work she does to help single mothers around Metro Atlanta.
Speaking with Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson, Shaffer insisted, “I would never want to put him intentionally in danger I am very active in my son’s life. My son is my biggest investment and he is the best thing that happened to me.”
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Shaffer further explained that she and her son were on their way to Duluth from Buford on Saturday (February 25). The Metro Atlanta mother had just picked up a bassinet that wasn’t fully broken down, and because it wouldn’t fit inside the backseat, she said she told her son to sit on top of the folded-down backset and hold onto the bassinet.
However, at some point during their ride, Shaffer said that her son, without a seatbelt on, made his way towards the trunk without her knowledge. She explained, “I told him to sit right here and to hold the leg of the bassinet because the trunk was up. Him being a kid, he climbed up, and went and peeked his head up to look at the oncoming cars.”
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After the viral video made its rounds online, showing the Metro Atlanta mother driving with her son in the trunk, the Gwinnett County Police launched an investigation and arrested Shaffer on Tuesday (February 27) for reckless conduct and a seat belt violation. Investigators reported that they gained additional evidence of the 12-year-old son peeking from the mother’s trunk via images from a Flock camera positioned at Pleasant Hill Road and Shackleford Road.
Shaffer has taken full accountability for her actions and claims she isn’t upset with anyone over her arrest and is thankful. She said, “I want to thank [police and the person who recorded the video] for the opportunity to be able to learn something from this. I know the potential harm [my son] could have been in and I would have to live with that for the rest of my life.” Following her one night spent in jail, she says, “This was a learned lesson and I would never put him in jeopardy like this ever again.”
Despite this tough and unforgettable lesson, she promises to continue her good deeds but with safer practices. She said, “I love to be able to give back because that’s the love that I have.” Shaffer says she often picks up baby items that people donate or give away. She will collect them and donate them to struggling single mothers in Gwinnett County and other Metro counties. On that Saturday, she was transporting a bassinet to a warehouse where she houses items collected through her organization called Hanging On To Positive Expectations.
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