Parents in Florida who put their children into day care have every expectation that the kids will be safe and under adult supervision until parents return to take them home. Unfortunately, because of the apparent negligent actions of one driver, a 4-year-old girl died in what should have been a safe place and on what should have been an ordinary day.
According to Winter Park Police, a 28-year-old man crashed his vehicle into another car, sending that car into the side of a day care building. One girl was killed and fourteen other people were injured. Ten people are still being treated for injuries. Two children remain in serious condition and another in critical condition.
The driver then fled the scene and was the subject of a one-day statewide hunt. Parents of the victims made public pleas for the man to surrender and take responsibility for his actions.
Following some news reports that the man had been spotted at a Florida airport, he surrendered to police one day after the accident and was charged with fleeing the scene of a fatal accident. He is being held on a $100,000 bond.
Police records indicate the man has been arrested as many as eight times since 2000 and may be a member of the Latin Kings gang. Records also show he was out on bail for a December crash in which he allegedly left the scene. He faced additional felony charges of selling narcotics and marijuana possession.
Family members who want to hold a negligent party accountable in civil court for their actions can file a wrongful death lawsuit. They can use evidence introduced in a criminal trial to help support their suit. A lawsuit will not lessen grief, but it can provide some justice and possibly monetary damages.
Source: The Huffington Post, “Driver Accused Of Florida Day Care Car Crash Surrenders To Authorities,” April 10, 2014
