Valley mother still fighting to get ‘Caleb’s Law’ passed in the Commonwealth

ELKTON, Va. (WHSV) - Taylor Shifflett has been fighting to upgrade the feticide laws in the Commonwealth, but her journey is far from over.

She says an intoxicated driver traveling more than 90 miles per hour hit her on her way home from work in 2018.

Since then, she has been fighting for justice for her unborn son she lost in the crash.

“Because I survived my child cannot get the justice that he deserves,” Shifflett said.

Almost five years after she lost her unborn child in a car crash, Shifflett is still fighting for him in Virginia’s General Assembly.

“That speed of a crash caused Caleb’s umbilical cord to rupture. It caused him to drift back into a sleep, which he would never wake back up,” Shifflett said.

With the backing of Senator Mark Obenshain and Delegate Robert Bell, “Caleb’s Law” was on the docket in the state’s senate.

“It’s going to happen again if it hasn’t already and that mother and father deserve to have justice,” she said.

Senate Bill 122 or Caleb’s Law states that killing the fetus of another person would result in manslaughter charges or other penalties.

“I wanted that baby. I wanted my son and someone else made a decision. It eradicated by choice,” she said.

Shifflett said she has struggled with the Senate passing this bill.

She said they voted six yea’s and nine nays at Monday’s meeting.

“Caleb’s Law is still active the House has not met yet ... or it hasn’t been on the docket in the house yet,” she said.

Although Caleb’s Law did not pass through the Senate on Monday, Shifflett said she will continue to fight to get it passed in the Commonwealth.

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