It might be Greg Bear's Darwin's Children, the second book in the Darwin's Radio series (do two books make a series?). Darwin's Radio was first published May 1999, Darwin's Children in 2003. The premise of the books is a virus has starting activating the next stage of human evolution.
from the Amazon link:
Ancient diseases encoded in the DNA of humans wait like sleeping
dragons to wake and infect again--or so molecular biologist Kaye Lang
believes. And now it looks as if her controversial theory is in fact
chilling reality. For Christopher Dicken, a "virus hunter" at the
Epidemic Intelligence Service, has pursued an elusive flu-like disease
that strikes down expectant mothers and their offspring. Then a major
discovery high in the Alps --the preserved bodies of a prehistoric
family--reveals a shocking link: something that has slept in our genes
for millions of years is waking up.
I suspect you may be combining both books in your memory. There's a crash scene in Darwin's Children which seems to imply that one of the enhanced children tried to prevent it, but it doesn't quite match up with your description. The first book ends with the parents of the first advanced children coming to terms with the changes that have happened.
Darwin's Radio, ch. 90:
“We’re different, too,” Mitch observed.
“You both look fine, even stylish,” Maria said.
“It’s going to be all the rage once the fashion magazines see you.
Petite, beautiful Kaye …”
“Rugged, handsome
Mitch,” Eileen said.
“With squid cheeks,” Kaye
finished for them. They laughed, and Stella jerked in her bassinet.
Then she warbled, and again the room fell silent. She honored each of
the guests in turn with a second, lingering look, her head wobbling as
she tracked them around the room, coming full circle to Kaye and then
jerking again as she saw Mitch. She smiled at Mitch. Mitch felt his
cheeks flush, like warm water running beneath his skin. The last of
the skin masks had fallen away eight days before, and looking at his
daughter was something of an experience.
Oliver
said, “Oh, my God.”
Maria stared at all three of
them, her jaw open.
Stella Nova sent waves of
fawn and gold over her cheeks, and her pupils dilated slightly, the
muscles around her eyes and eyelids drawing the skin down in delicate
and complex curves.
“She’s going to teach us how
to talk,” Kaye said proudly.
