Drivers have a duty of care to drive safely and protect others who share the road.
Last month a car accident at a Kansas City day care injured the vehicle driver and three children. Police report that a sport utility vehicle rear ended a Cadillac that was parked. The car was smashed through the wall of the day care, injuring the three children and the SUV driver.
There was no one inside the parked Cadillac when it was rear ended by the Range Rover. As the Range Rover pushed the Cadillac into the day care two children became trapped underneath the Cadillac. Three children and the driver of the SUV were taken to a hospital. The children sustained mild to moderate injuries and were treated at Children’s Mercy Hospital. Kansas City police captain Tye Grant reported that the SUV driver was in stable condition at a local hospital.
There were 40 children inside the Christian Academy Child Care center located east of downtown around 1 p.m. at the time of the accident. According to police, the 80 year old SUV driver also struck a utility pole. Police have yet to determine the cause of the crash, which is still under investigation.
For hours after the crash neighbors watched crews extricate the SUV pieces from the day care building, which had been significantly damaged. There were several child sized chairs piled in the rubble that was building outside.
Day care director Dena Washington said she would not be making any public comments until some of the facts were straightened out. She waited near the scene for parents to pick up their children.
Parents were visibly shaken and rushed to pick up their children. Curtis Sawyer was one of those parents. His children, age 1 and 2 were both at the day care at the time of the accident and he received a phone call saying about the incident saying he should come get them. Sawyer, 33, held his children in his arms saying “It was shocking to me, I’m just glad my kids are safe, and I’m sorry for the kids that got hurt. My heart and prayers go out to their families.”
Eight year old Timmisha Washington realized how fortunate she and her brother were to not be in the building at the time of the accident. She said “we were lucky we weren’t in the day care. They ran over me and my brother’s classroom. We lucky. We lucky.” Her grandmother, Sharon Washington echoed her sentiment as she spoke with staff about the accident. Her three grandchildren, ages 8, 5, and 1, all attend the day care, but were with their grandmother at the time.
St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer
Drivers have a duty of care to drive safely and protect others who share the road. We do not usually think of this affecting people in nearby buildings, but sometimes it does. Anyone who is injured in an auto accident caused by another driver’s negligence should contact a St. Louis car accident lawyer immediately following the accident.
If you have been involved in a Missouri auto accident, the car accident lawyers at The Hoffmann Law Firm can assist you in determining what the best course of action will be. It is important to act quickly to ensure that you receive the full amount of compensation you are entitled to.
Call us today at (314) 361-4242 to schedule a free consultation.
photo credit: Shane Keyser | The Kansas City Star