Girl, 10, killed and brother, 5, critically injured in Auburn Gresham car crash; suspect in custody
Children were with father on way to Foster Elementary School to pick up laptop for remote learning, mother says
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police said charges are pending against a suspect after a crash in Auburn Gresham killed a 10-year-old girl and critically injured her 5-year-old brother Wednesday.
Chicago police said around 3:40 p.m. officers were attempting to pull a black sedan over in the 8000-block of South Halsted Street for traffic violations when it fled westbound on 80th.
The sedan first struck a gray car driven by a 57-year-old woman driving north on Halsted, then struck a tan sedan that was pulled over on the westbound side of the street. A 43-year-old man, 10-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy were in the tan sedan.
The 10-year-old girl was taken to Comer Children's Hospital where she was pronounced dead, police said. The 5-year-old boy was taken to Comer Children's Hospital where he is in critical condition and the 43-year-old man was taken to University of Chicago Hospital for observation, where he is in good condition.
The children's mother, Darnesha Johnson, identified them as Da'Karia Spicer and her brother Dhaamir Spicer.
Johnson said her fiancé Kevin Amir Spicer was driving the children to Foster Park Elementary School to pick up Da'Karia's laptop for remote learning, which begins next week. He called her after the crash.
"He was hysterical," she described. "We've been together for almost 15 years and I've never heard him like that. He was saying, 'Mama's not responding.'"
She said her daughter likely died instantly.
"I will never be OK. I will never be OK after today. They took my firstborn child," she said.
She said Amir suffered broken ribs and other injuries in the crash and her son is fighting for his life.
"Worst day of my life," she said. "Never thought I'd get a call that my son is fighting for his life and my daughter is just gone."
Johnson said there's now a gaping hole left in their family without Da'Karia, which she said they'll never recover from and she wants justice.
"I just want who was ever responsible for this to pay for what they done cause my daughter to know her is to love her. I can't even speak in past tense. To know her is to love her," Johnson said. "Straight A student. She's a good big sister, good daughter, loves school loves dancing. One of my relatives just bought her a brand new bike she hadn't even rode the bike yet."
Meanwhile, police said three men ran from the car they were trying to stop, but they were able to take a suspect into custody and that charges are pending.
Because the crash occurred while police were attempting to make a traffic stop, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability has opened an investigation into the crash
