7 year-old girl dies after being hit by a car outside a Miami pharmacy, family says
The family of the 7-year-old girl hit by a car driven by an elderly woman on Monday outside a Navarro pharmacy is mourning her loss.
“Our beloved Stephanie has sadly passed away,” Joany Figueredo, the girl’s father, wrote on a gofundme page. “Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity and support during this very difficult time.”
Officer Michael Vega, a Miami police spokesman, told the Miami Herald around 11 a.m. Saturday that the child was brain dead and being kept on life support. Police said they expected the family to take her off life support soon.
The girl was walking into a Navarro pharmacy alongside her mother at Southwest 32nd Avenue and 22nd Street around 4 p.m. when a 92-year-old woman drove up on the sidewalk and hit the child with her Nissan SUV, Vega said.
The driver was parking her car when she mistook the accelerator for the brakes, Vega said. Police said she remained on scene.
The child was taken to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in “critical condition,” according to Vega. When first responders reached her, she was unconscious and had head injuries, Vega said.
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The driver was cited for careless driving and could face more charges, according to Miami Herald news partner CBS Miami. Police say the case is still being investigated.
“Stephanie is a bright and joyful little girl with so much life ahead of her,” Figueredo wrote prior to her death.
Miami Herald reporters David Goodhue and Devoun Cetoue contributed to this report.
This story was originally published September 7, 2024 at 8:51 AM.