Daneri Varela, Nashville, Tennessee man wanted in hit and run crash that killed 10 year old girl, Emily Sanchez-Ramirez riding electric scooter, with mom, Laura Ramirez-Gonzalez who survived.
A 10-year-old girl has died after she was struck by a speeding driver while riding her electric scooter with her mother in Nashville, Tennessee. Authorities now seek to arrest the driver of a red vehicle that drove into the pair before fleeing the scene.
Emily Sanchez-Ramirez, 10, was on her way to her local Walmart in Nolensville Pike with mom, Laura Ramirez-Gonzalez, 28, on October 5 when the pair were suddenly struck by a hit and run driver.
As the duo rode the scooter in the bike lane at around 6pm, a driver in a red car suddenly swerved into them, hitting them head-on before taking off according to authorities.
‘That car hit them head-on!’
Ramirez died at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt while Gonzalez remains in a critical condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Reflected Ramirez’s aunt via WSMV: ‘My sister finished surgery, but she’s in and out of consciousness. I’m not sure if she understands what has happened.
Adding, ‘I feel guilty that I brought them here. I wish I wouldn’t have brought them here. She used to tell all her school friends that she was so happy to be here.’
Witnesses Ali Sharma and Lynze Pickett also recounted: ‘We saw a glimpse of the scooter, it disappeared behind this one car. All of the sudden there’s this… It looked like a red flash, I mean it happened so fast.
‘That car hit them head-on. The next thing we saw was the mom, she was in the air.’
After the accident, Pickett and Sharma jumped out of their car and helped the mom and daughter until first respondents arrived.
Both of them also noted that while there were numerous people who saw what had happened, none rushed to help. Rather, everyone was busy videotaping the accident.
Family demand justice
‘I think that was the most stunning thing was just that everyone was just standing around,’ Sharma said.
The family is now calling for justice as they process the devastating loss as they seek to hold the driver responsible and brought to justice.
The Metropolitan Police Department has since recovered the red Nissan Sentra from a house in Radnor Street after receiving a tip and is in the search for Daneri Varela, NewsChannel5 reported.
‘A tip led to this morning’s recovery of the Nissan Sentra believed to be responsible for Saturday’s crash. It was found at a home on Radnor St. Sought for questioning is Daneri Varela.
’10-year-old Emily Sanchez-Ramirez died Sunday. Her mother remains critical,’ officials wrote on their Facebook.
The Ramirez family has since launched a GoFundMe to raise money to take the young child back to Colombia, where she can be laid to rest.
As of now, the crowdfunding page has raised $2,165 out of its $10,000 goal.
Family are now urging anyone with information about the case or Varela’s whereabouts to come forward. To date the wanted man remains at large.
