TAMPA, Fla. -- Days since five kids and two adults were hit by a car while waiting at a bus stop, victims involved in the crash are calling for justice.
They want charges filed against driver 47-year-old Brian Darnell West. West stopped after the crash and was taken into custody for questioning. Police say he is cooperating but charges against him have not been filed.
The crash happened at near the intersection of East Bougainvillea Avenue and Marvy Avenue.
Laura Patino-Chaves says she and her son Enrique are lucky to be alive.
“It’s only by the grace of God,” she said.
The victims have been identified as Alexandra Torres, 6, Allison Galindo, 6, Enrique Tobias Patino, 6, Sandy Quintana, 9, Perla Galindo, 12, Yanely Jurado, 31, and Patino-Chavez, 32.
5 children, 2 adults hit by car at Tampa bus stop
Patino-Chaves still has two black eyes, along with bruises and scrapes on most of her body. Her son, Enrique, still has staples in his head after they and five others were hit by a car walking to their North Tampa bus stop Thursday.
“I don’t want any money, I want justice," she said. "I want the person who harmed us to pay. Go to prison, or something, but something needs to happen.”
In the aftermath of the crash, as backpacks and shoes were strewn across the street, West was taken into custody. When 10News stopped by his house Monday he wasn’t home. His father, Eugene Smith, answered the door and said he didn’t want to speak about the crash or the possibility of any charges.
Patino-Chaves says several people warned of a car coming and she tried her hardest to get out of the way, but it was too late. At that moment, she said all she could think about was protecting the kids.
“How can you explain this,” she said. “He turned to the right where the whole group of people were.”
Edin Galindo’s two daughters, 12-year-old Perla and 6-year-old Allison were both hit. Allison is still is in the hospital and has already had several surgeries.
“Her leg and foot are broken, so are her arms, her fingers and neck, she has a ruptured lung," Galindo said. "I don’t know how it’s possible that he’s out there like nothing happened”
Unable to go to work Monday, Patino-Chaves was taking care of her son and 6-year-old Alexandra Torres, who was also hit.
“People are saying it’s not a big deal, that all he’ll get is a ticket for what he did. How is that possible? We are humans,” she said.
West is a registered sex offender and has a lengthy criminal history going back at least 20 years, including several speeding violations, according to records.
While witnesses say speed is a major problem in this area, police say if they can’t prove West was speeding or impaired in any way, he will be ticketed for the crash instead of facing charges.
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