Horrific video shows moment 7-year-old girl crosses a street in front of an armored truck before she's run over and killed in Brooklyn
A shocking video shows the horrific moment a young girl crosses a Brooklyn street on her scooter before being hit by an armored truck and killed.
Seven-year-old Sama Ali was walking from the park with her mother, brother and some friends in Bath Beach at around 4pm Monday when the GardaWorld armored truck driver made a left turn and struck her.
Video footage of the accident shows the heartbreaking moment her family and onlookers rush to her side and begin crying in the street, just a six-minute walk from her home.
Ali was rushed to Lutheran Hospital with a police escort but could not be saved.
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Seven-year-old Sama Ali was walking from the park when she was fatally hit by a truck
The driver said he did not see the young girl as she crossed the street on Monday
The GardaWorld driver stayed at the scene and NYPD say no criminality is suspected
Police say the driver, a man in his 40s, remained at the scene near the Muslim American Society Youth Center on Bay 23rd Street and Bath Avenue.
He said he didn't see the little girl as she crossed.
According to New York Daily News, the NYPD do not suspect any criminality.
Onlookers and employees in nearby stores rushed out to help as they heard the screams and saw a crowd gathering around Ali's body.
'The mom, she cry a lot,' Peter Younan, 34, told Daily News.
Waqar Yussouf, 39, said that he witnessed who he believes to be Ali's father running down the street toward her.
'That was a horrible thing to see. He came running down screaming her name. They wouldn't let him go all the way over,' he said.
'There was so much blood it was horrific. Her shoe is still there,' Yussouf added.
'How fast can you be going on a left turn? Maybe if it was a Honda or a Toyota she would have survived.'
As police continued the investigation, one of Ali's small pink shoes and her scooter still lay on the street.
The young girl was half way across the road as the truck approached the crossing
The driver took a left turn and hit her. She was rushed to hospital but could not be saved
A GoFundMe set up for her family described her as a 'sweet and loving child who was filled with radiant energy and brought a smile and warmth to everyone she knew'.
One of Ali's teachers at the Muslim American Society also described her as a 'sweet, smart, and loving girl'.
Her parents, Duaa and Mohamed Saad, had just one daughter, as well as Ali's three older brothers, Mahmoud, 16, Ali, 14, and Omar, 8.
GardaWorld said in a statement that it was conducting its own investigation into the accident and had sent out its 'accident response team'.
'All of us at GardaWorld are deeply saddened by the news of this tragic accident. Our thoughts and prayers, and our deepest condolences go out to the family and loved ones of the decedent,' the statement reads.
The seven-year-old's shoes remained on the street as the accident was investigated
Her scooter also lay by the side of the street after the accident
The Florida-based company has been involved in several tragedies in recent years.
The Tampa Bay Times revealed that at least 19 people were killed in Garda crashes between 2008 and March 1, 2020. Twelves of those deaths were caused by mechanical failure or driver error.
According to Bklynr, Ali was the 182nd person killed in traffic violence, and the ninth child to die on New York City streets, so far in 2020.
In August alone, there were 105 reported motor vehicle collisions with a total of 126 people injured in the area.
Just a few blocks from where she died, three-year-old Elnur Shavkator was also knocked down while riding on his scooter in 2019.
'Sama Ali, a seven-year-old, did not have to die while crossing the street with her scooter. This crash, like countless others across New York City, could have been prevented. My heart aches for Sama’s family,' Amy Cohen, the co-founder of Families For Safe Streets said.
'Like them, I buried a child because of a preventable crash, and demand accountability from the City for allowing traffic violence to continue unchecked and unabated.'
The local Muslim Center expressed their condolences to the family. One of Ali's teachers at the Muslim American Society described her as a 'sweet, smart, and loving girl'
City officials also expressed their condolences to the young girl's family.
'Every traffic death is a preventable tragedy, but the loss of a young child is especially difficult to bear,' NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson said.
'My heart breaks for the family and friends of Sama Ali, whose life was cut short too soon. Our fight for safe streets must continue until we finally achieve the goals of vision zero – until we end traffic deaths in our city.'
Others called on the Department of Transport to do more to stop traffic accidents in the neighborhood.
The intersection where Ali was hit — right next to PS 200, an elementary school, and Benson Playground — is notorious for double-parked cars, NYC Streets reports.
'The infuriating thing is that DOT has the tools to make intersections in Bath Beach and other neighborhoods safer but too often traffic flow and speed take priority. This has to end now,' Council Member Justin Brannan said.
'DOT must start implementing safety controls like Leading Pedestrian Intervals that prioritize safety over speed so that not one more family must endure the loss of a child from traffic violence. We must seriously question the city's priorities for saving lives when known safety controls are ignored over and over so that drivers can get where they need to go just a little bit faster.
'My heart is breaking for this family today. Our neighborhood will come together, as we always do, to surround them with love and support during this impossible time.'
The GoFundMe for Ali's family has raised more than $34,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.
Her funeral took place Tuesday at the MAS Youth Center.