A couple taking a family vacation was hit and killed by a car only a few feet away from their 7-year-old daughter, Florida authorities said.
Lakeland police identified them as 54-year-old Ronald Jeanbaptiste and 46-year-old Yanique Pierre of Everett, Massachusetts. The Boston-area family was staying at a hotel in central Florida with their daughter, the Lakeland Police Department said in an Aug. 8 news release.
Shortly before 11 p.m. Aug. 7, the parents were heading eastbound in the crosswalk of an intersection where oncoming traffic had a green light, police said. Then, a 22-year-old driving southbound in a Toyota Yaris sedan struck the parents in front of their daughter, who was uninjured, according to investigators.
The driver was also uninjured and didn’t seem to be impaired, police said. The parents died at the scene, and the child was placed in the care of other family members, police said. Law enforcement hasn’t filed any charges as of Aug. 8. The investigation is ongoing. Lakeland is about a 35-mile drive east from Tampa.
More than 5 million traffic accidents were reported by police in 2020, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“No one wants to get into a car crash. But being prepared and knowing what to do if you are involved in an accident can save lives, reduce injuries and make the claims process simpler and easier,” the Insurance Information Institute said on its website.
That poor child will relive that scene for the rest of her life! She will need much help to come to terms with this loss! May Our Lord be with her!
Why the driver’s name had not been released?
A green traffic signal doesn’t remove responsibility to observe pedestrian safety.