SUV Slams Into Overloaded Day Care Van, Injures 16
By FRANK HEINZ and LITA BECK
Updated 10:08 PM CDT, Mon, Sep 28, 2009
Grand Prairie police said a sport utility vehicle slammed into the side of a day care van loaded with 20 children, sending the van into a roll before it came to a rest on its side just before 8 a.m. Monday.
Police said the driver of the van, 20-year-old Karissa Acosta, of Arlington, pulled around a stopped car and entered the intersection of Mayfield Road and Great Southwest Parkway under a red light.
A Chevrolet Tahoe then struck the van, which rolled over at least once, police said.
Detective John Brimmer said there were no serious injuries in the crash that sent 14 children and two adults to Dallas-area hospitals. According to Brimmer, everyone was hospitalized as a precaution.
A total of 20 kids were packed into the 15-passenger van from the Kids Clubhouse, police said. A second van transported the non-hospitalized children to the Kids Clubhouse Daycare.
Brimmer said the driver of the Tahoe, Aracel Torres, 30, wasn't seriously hurt in the collision, but she and two children in her vehicle were transported to an area hospital.
Police said neither Torres or Acosta appeared to be licensed and both will likely face charges.
Acosta is facing at least four traffic charges, including running a red light, going straight in a turn lane and allowing a child to ride without a seatbelt.
Police said the owner of Kids Clubhouse Daycare may also face charges for allowing an unlicensed driver to operate the day care's van.
The day care has had 48 inspection violations out of more than 2,600 standards, which is normal for a day care of its size, Child Protective Services said. Kids Clubhouse corrected all of the violations, according to CPS.
State licensing officials will be at the day care Tuesday to investigate the incident.
First Published: Sep 28, 2009 10:21 AM CDT
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