MIAMI (Gray News) – The father of a 7-year-old Miami girl who police say was fatally struck by an elderly driver believes her death could have been prevented with an age limit on driving.
Stephanie Alonso, 7, and her mother were walking toward Navarro Pharmacy in Miami before 4 p.m. Monday when police say an SUV driven by a 92-year-old woman hit the girl and sideswiped her mother, WFOR reports.
“She hit my daughter, and she hit the wall,” said Stephanie’s father, Joany Figueredo, in an interview with WTVJ. “She got out of the car and acted like nothing happened.”
Stephanie was taken to the hospital in critical condition with head injuries. She died Friday, as confirmed by her father.
“When I am alone and see a picture of her, I break down and start crying. It’s too hard,” Figueredo told WFOR before his daughter’s death.
Stephanie would have turned 8 on Sept. 21, just over two weeks after her death. She was described on her family’s GoFundMe as a “smart, happy and loving” little girl.
The driver reportedly told police her brakes were not working, but investigators say surveillance video appears to show she hit the accelerator instead of the brake, according to WFOR.
“Instead of pressing the brakes, the 92-year-old accelerates, and we can see that the vehicle accelerates and goes right toward them,” said Mike Vega, public information officer for Miami Police.
Figueredo believes his daughter’s death could have been prevented. He is speaking out in favor of a law that would keep elderly people from driving.
“What is happening? Why is a person who is 92 years old driving? There should be an age limit for driving,” he told WTVJ.
Police say the 92-year-old was cited for careless driving. It’s unclear what other charges she may face, if any.
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