Raleigh Mom Arrested Again After Crashing Car With 5 Children On Board, No Seat Belts 

RALEIGH, NC — On Monday night (Sept. 23), children in the car with Diamond Cannady sustained various injuries, including a broken jaw, broken arm, liver laceration, and concussion, in a car crash. Raleigh police arrested 29-year-old Cannady after she was caught speeding at 65 m.p.h. in a 35 m.p.h. speed zone along the 1300 block of Western Blvd. She crossed the median and crashed into a tree outside Dix Park around 9:10 p.m.

During an initial court appearance on Tuesday, a prosecutor stated that Cannady had five children in the car: a 10-year-old in the passenger seat and kids aged 3, 5, 6, and 9 in the backseat. According to warrants, none of the children were restrained in car seats or wearing seatbelts, and Cannady was also not wearing a seat belt.

Following the crash, Cannady has been charged with:

• Negligent child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury
• Negligent child abuse resulting in serious physical injury
• Speeding
• Driving while license revoked for an impaired driving charge
• Reckless driving that endangered people and/or property
• Failure to wear seatbelt – driver
• Multiple counts of failing to secure passenger under the age of 16

Cannady has a history of criminal charges, with 20 separate arrests documented in Wake County alone since March 2019. However, it’s important to note that these photos do not reflect convictions.

During a virtual court appearance on Tuesday afternoon, Cannady made an emotional appeal to the judge for leniency, stating that she needed to be with her daughter, who is undergoing multiple surgeries.”

“Looks like I’m a bad person, but it’s not what it looks like,” Cannady said. She claimed that she had not missed a court date in the past two years and that every DWI charge was not legitimate.

“I have five kids I’m raising by myself,” Cannady added, again asking for mercy from the judge.

The district attorney prosecuting the case stated that Cannady currently has 90 charges pending against her, ranging from marijuana possession to DWI and hit-and-run. The attorney also mentioned that Cannady has 13 charges for failing to appear in court. The district attorney told the judge that Cannady was “an extreme safety risk to the public and her kids.”

Talking specifically about the wreck, the DA said two children in the back seat, a 5 and 6-year-old who were closest to the doors, were seriously injured.

In summary, the DA reported the following on injuries:

• The 6-year-old suffered a broken arm, brain bleed, broken jaw and a laceration to the liver.
• The 5-year-old sustained injuries to the head, including a concussion and a laceration of the forehead.

“Again, none of these children were in proper car seats or wearing seatbelts at the time of this collision,” the DA said. “Your honor, I think it’s really important to talk about the defendant’s record.”

The DA asked the judge for a bond of $1 million while Cannady again pleaded for leniency and permission to be in the hospital to make decisions about her daughter’s care.

“I’m not asking for you to do anything you wouldn’t do for anybody,” Cannady told the judge. “All I’m asking is that you please grant me permission to go to Chapel Hill for her surgery.”

“I have given as much leniency as I can,” the judge said after issuing two separate bonds totaling $90,000.

The judge issued a $10,000 bond for the DWI charge and $80,000 for the felony child abuse charges. The judge also added a no-contact order between Cannady and her children.

Cannady’s next court date is scheduled for Oct. 15 at 2 p.m.

Photo: Raleigh Mug Shots