Video released by the State Attorney’s Office shows the moments after a vehicle slammed into an Arcadia day care, killing one girl and injuring another.
The March 16 crash at Imagination Station Learning Center on State Road 70 killed 4-year-old Maleena Valdez and led to the arrest of 18-year-old Kiara Morant, who is accused of being behind the wheel.
The video, taken from officer-worn body cameras, shows Morant visibly upset and crying. Much of the video is redacted.
The video shows arriving parents begging for information on their children.
One mother prayed her child survived.
The video shows the reunification of some parents with their children.
One mother had to wait for eight minutes until she could hold her daughter in her arms.
“Baby girl, what happened,” the child’s mother said. “Mommy’s never gonna leave you with nobody ever again. Can you tell me what happened?”
Soon after the crash, Arcadia came together to honor Maleena.
Now, there is a guardrail that protects the day care from traffic.
However, Maleena’s family has filed a lawsuit because, according to them, the day care failed to protect Maleena and her classmates.
Morant, meanwhile, remains in jail. She faces charges of driving without a license – causing serious injury or death.