A four-year-old girl tragically died and a five-year-old girl is in critical condition after a teenage driver plowed through a preschool playground in Florida on Wednesday.
Around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the two girls were having at the Imagination Station Learning Center Preschool in Arcadia, about 90 miles southeast of Tampa, when Kiara Morant, 18, lost control of her SUV and crashed into the fenced playground area.
As a result, Maleena Valdez, 4, and her friend were rushed to the hospital where Valdez was pronounced dead and her friend in serious condition. Valdez’s family created a GoFundMe campaign for the pre-schooler.
“All she was doing was playing in the playground. We just want her back. We want her back,” Josephine Valdez, the grandmother of the girl who was killed, told FOX 13 Tampa.
According to a crash report, Morant did not have a valid driver’s license. She reportedly drove over a raised concrete curb on East Magnolia Street, hit a street sign, crossed the sidewalk, and crashed into a chain-link fence at the corner of the preschool.
Troopers said the Jeep then drove into the playground and struck the two girls who were playing in that area. The vehicle eventually stopped after crushing several other wooden-support posts and playground equipment and crashing into a tree.
Following the deadly crash which remains under investigation, according to authorities, a memorial with balloons and toys was set up outside the playground.
According to the report, Morant did not suffer any serious injuries in the crash. She was arrested for not having a valid driver’s license and was freed from jail on bond before the child died. According to troopers, Morant could face additional charges.
