7-year-old survived 'drunk' dad's car crash only to be hit and killed by another car
A 7-year-old girl died while she was trying to save another life- her dad's.
According to Michigan State Police, the child was a victim of a car crash, driven by her father. According to Lt. Mike Shaw, the girl's father was driving under the influence of alcohol. The girl, however, survived the crash but believed her father had died and tried to reach 911 for help.
And, while she was texting to 911, she was hit by another car and killed instantly.
“A drunk driver was operating, lost control of the vehicle, struck an abandoned vehicle on the side of the road, went off the freeway and into some fencing,” Shaw said in a video update on Twitter that was shared at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday.
Shaw said that at the time of the crash, the 7-year-old was inside the car.
To conceal the minor's identity, the law enforcement decided against releasing her name. But her mother revealed it to Fox News that her daughter's name was DeSandra Thomas.
“They say my daughter tried to save her father, she ran to get some help for her daddy,” Sandria Burts told the station.
Shaw further informed in a Twitter update that the young girl grabbed her belongings and left the vehicle after her dad crashed it and was lying unconscious. The little girl, who thought her father died after the crash then went to look for help after climbing over the broken fence, which their car hit.
According to a tweet by Michigan State Police, the girl texted 911 that she needed help. Fox News reported that she chose to text police because she was unable to make a call.
Law enforcement authorities immediately responded to the scene. The department clarified in a tweet: “It’s the same as a 911 call." However, they were unable to locate the girl even after pinging the cellphone.
By the time, the authorities reached her the girl was already dead. Sadly, she got hit by another car, while trying to cross the I-94.
In a follow-up tweet, Shaw said that night another driver called up 911 and informed Michigan State Police about an accident on I-94. The driver claimed that she had hit a person or animal, she wasn't sure. Unaware of little girl's message to the Romulus Police Department, the troopers sent down by Michigan State Police Metro Detroit (MSP Metro Detroit), who arrived at the scene of the reported accident by the other driver, did not find any sign or evidence that she struck someone. "Troopers checked the area around the vehicle and was unable to locate a person or animal in the area," read a tweet by the MSP Metro Detroit.
Much later, the Michigan State Police learned of the messages received by Romulus from the girl and that they were investigating a reported drunk driving crash.
According to the Detroit News, the child's body was found 50 to 150 feet away from her father's car. Cops said she was killed instantly after the car hit her.
Shaw also informed that it took about 15 to 20 minutes for both departments to connect the three incidents with each other.
“So here’s a poor 7-year-old child that won’t get her life back,” Shaw said. “Her father was involved in that crash who lost his daughter. Her mom whose been notified has lost her child. And there’s somebody that’s going to drive around the rest of their life knowing that they were involved in a traffic crash that killed a 7-year-old girl.”
He added that the little girl died "because of a decision that an adult made."
Currently, little DeSandra's father, who crashed the car, is in custody and could face charges including drunk driving. The woman driver of the car that struck the 7-year-old was questioned by police and released.
The devastated mother, told Fox News that she would rather comment on her daughter's life than on her husband who was driving while under the influence.
She told the station: "They say my daughter tried to save her father, she ran to get some help for her daddy."
"She was a beautiful thing, she was on her way to the third grade," she added.
Sandria, who had DeSandra after 20 years of trying to have a baby, added: "She was 7 years old — she would give you the shirt off her back. She was so helpful."
The bereaved mother said her daughter’s death left a void that “will never be filled.”
“It’s straight emptiness. We are in shock but I know God is good and he is the only one that’s going to be able to bring me and my family through this,” she said.
"I love her and I miss her so much."
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for Dessandra’s funeral.