Day care center van overturns injuring 13 children
A day care center van carrying 20 children was involved in a car accident Monday morning in Grand Prairie, Texas. The van collided with a Chevy Tahoe and flipped onto its side. Thirteen children were sent to various hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. The injured children ranged in age from 3 to 11.
The van, which belongs to the Kids Clubhouse day care center, had a capacity of only 14. The driver of the van, 20-year-old Karissa Acosta of Arlington, Texas, does not have a driver’s license.
When the accident occurred, the day care center van was traveling west on Mayfield Road. Acosta ran a red light after swerving around a car that was stopped at the light. After proceeding into the intersection of Mayfield and Great Southwest Parkway, the van was broadsided by the Tahoe. The force of the impact caused the van to spin. It then struck a curb, causing it to flip onto its side.
Like Acosta, the driver of the Tahoe, 30-year-old Aracel Torres of Grand Prairie, Texas, does not have a driver’s license. Torres’ was carrying two passengers, aged 2 and 4, both of whom were taken to a hospital with minor injuries along with Torres.
Acosta, police say, is likely to face multiple traffic charges, including allowing children to ride without seatbelts and running a red light. Acosta violated a law which went into effect September 1st, requiring all children in 15-seat passenger vans to wear seatbelts.
The day care, which is located in Grand Prairie, Texas, closed voluntarily for the day on Monday. Kids Clubhouse, which has a capacity of 138 children, has been in operation since January 2008. The center has had a total of 48 violations of the 2600 standards required by the state. Officials say the number of violations is consistent with other day care centers of the same size. All of the violations have since been corrected.
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If you or your child has been injured in a car accident, contact the personal injury lawyers of Fears | Nachawati. We will provide you with free legal assistance and answer your questions about personal injury lawsuits. Simply email us at info@fnlawfirm.com or call our toll-free number at 1.866.705.7584 for your free consultation.
