CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A car barreled through an east Charlotte child care center's yard where several children were playing before slamming into a home across the street.
The harrowing moment was captured on video.
Anointed Future Child Development Center's Janice White said she’s owned the facility for more than 20 years. She's thankful none of her children or staff were hurt.
“This could have been a terrible, terrible situation,” White said.
Surveillance video shows the moments when the car came flying through the yard Tuesday afternoon.
“I’m just thankful for my teacher, just to stretch her arms out like an angel from heaven to cover those children and keep them safe,” White said.
Just thinking of the narrow miss brought tears to White’s eyes.
“Just to know they were possibly in harm’s way, I don’t know, it’s hard," White shared.
The video also shows her staff running inside after sweeping kids up into their arms.
“As [the car] reached this point, it began to flip, and it went across the street and landed at the house across the street," White said.
Car drives over day care's yard, crashes into nearby house
The car's bumper is still wrapped around one of the kid's toys near the day care center's fencing.
White said bystanders helped pull two people out of the car. Medic said it transporting one person with serious injuries to the hospital. At this time, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said no charges have been filed.
According to White, speeding along east Charlotte's Hickory Grove Road is a constant problem, which prompted them to erect fencing along the yard. White said all requested safety measures for the intersection have been denied.
“What is it going to take, for someone to die here for you to put a traffic light here?" White wondered.
Just a mile away in the Springhurst neighborhood, the tale is similar.
“This is the same issue that I am fighting in the city when it comes to getting speed humps in my neighborhood because of speeding cars,” another east Charlotte resident Johnnie Maebostick said. “This could have been my neighborhood because kids are always there all the time playing in the cul-de-sac.”
As the community hopes for a solution, White has one message to drivers.
“Slow down," White advised. "You’re safer if you slow down. You’ll make it. Just slow down."
White said she is expecting to get estimate of damages within the next few days. A GoFundMe page has been started to support the center.
The Charlotte Department of Transportation released the following statement regarding the crash:
We are sad to learn of this crash, but are grateful no one was injured. The City of Charlotte educates the public through its Vision Zero initiative to drive safely by always staying alert and adhering to the posted speed limit. When a crash occurs in our city, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) is the first to investigate the circumstances and they complete a crash report. The Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) is working with CMPD to get a copy of the report to look for potential infrastructure enhancements, such as pavement markings and signage.
This location was most recently evaluated for a traffic signal in 2022. CDOT follows national guidance on where to recommend traffic signals and the data does not support one at this location at this time.
The cause of the wreck is not known at this time.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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