A car carrying children under the legal driving age smashed into a tree near Stockton on Sunday night, killing an 11-year-old girl and her family. The family was in mourning.
At approximately 7:45 a.m., it occurred on North El Dorado Street. Even though it was a Sunday, the normally bustling street was deserted.
The 11-year-old was recognized as Queen Marie Stacy Norwood by her family. On Sunday night, they congregated at the crash site, holding candles. To honor her, they released pink balloons and stopped traffic on the busy street where she was slain.
The route the car drove from North El Dorado Street into a tree was marked by tire marks on the ground. They were all too young to drive: five girls and one boy, aged 11 to 15, were packed inside the automobile, according to the police.
The other children were taken to the hospital, several of them with bruises and broken bones, but the family reported Queen passed away from her injuries there.
A neighbor who wished to remain anonymous remarked, “I just woke up and I just heard a loud bang.”
The neighbor, whose house was only feet from the scene of the incident, expressed his gratitude that the tree prevented the automobile from striking it.
“But I’m just not grateful it happened at all because that was someone’s kids, and they were so young,” the neighbor stated.
“The question will be, rightfully so, whether or not the parents will be charged or not,” Stockton Police Public Information Officer Omer Edhah stated. “That all will be determined later on.”
According to Edhah, investigations are ongoing to determine who of the kids was driving and whether or not the kids were using seat belts. Currently, investigators are not ruling out driving while distracted, speeding, or intoxicated.
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The youngsters may not have been siblings, but they grew up as a family and are now hurting together, according to Queen’s loved ones.
While the grieving family’s main priority was to commemorate Queen, authorities stated that there is still much to learn from the inquiry, including how the children acquired the car keys in the first place and whether the parents will be prosecuted.
