Family, Neighbors Gather In Brooklyn To Honor 6-Year-Old Who Was Struck, Killed By Vehicle
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The family of the 6-year-old girl killed by a car in Brooklyn on Tuesday gathered in sorrow to honor the child.
Neighbors in Brooklyn lit candles and left teddy bears Thursday night at the spot where 6-year-old Tamy Guachiac was hit by a car and killed two days earlier.
"We're just basically here to give our support. I have a daughter, so I feel the pain," Dyker Heights resident Daisy Castillo told CBS2's Ali Bauman.
Police say around 8 p.m. Tuesday, a man driving an SUV on 12th Avenue crossed the solid double yellow pavement markings and went into oncoming traffic.
The car then made a left at 67th Street and hit the child who was walking in the crosswalk with the pedestrian signal in her favor.
"Crossing the street should not be a death sentence," said one person with Families for Safe Streets.
The little girl's parents quietly held each other Thursday, their pain palpable as speakers shared condolences and honored their daughter.
"We need to recommit ourselves and recommit our lives not to have our mothers, fathers and families live through this pain," Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said.
"We all have to take more personal responsibility when we're behind the wheel of a car," City Councilman Justin Brannan said.
Police say the driver initially kept going after hitting the child, but he circled the block and returned to the scene.
"This pain is going to cascade throughout the entire community," Adams said.
Thirty-year-old Qiuhua Zhu has been charged with nine offenses, including manslaughter, failure to yield to a pedestrian and driving the wrong direction on a one-way street.
"I hope it doesn't happen again to another family because it's really sad. Nothing can give you back the baby," said Gloria Leon, a friend of the family.
Neighbors hope a photo of Tamy's beaming smile on the block will serve as a reminder to drive safely.