LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - A van from Heavenly Angels daycare was involved in a deadly accident near Algonquin Parkway and Wingfield Avenue Tuesday afternoon.
LMPD spokesperson Alicia Smiley said the accident happened at 5:11 p.m. when the driver of the van lost control and hit a tree head-on. The driver and a monitor were transported to University Hospital where the monitor was pronounced dead. The driver of the van was listed in critical condition.
Kosair Children's Hospital officials tell us 14 children, ranging in age from five months to 10 years old, were transported to the hospital.
Three of the children were listed in critical condition. The other eleven children suffered injuries described as non life-threatening.
Children were seen at the hospital being wheeled out of ambulances on stretchers, many clutching teddy bears. Another sucked his thumb to help calm his nerves. Some were wheeled out in head braces almost as big as the children themselves.
To save resources, paramedics had to improvise by putting two small children onto one stretcher.
It isn't clear what caused the driver to slam into the tree.
"We're not exactly sure what caused the accident. We don't know if the driver lost control or if perhaps there was some sort of vehicle failure," Smiley said.
As neighbors heard the crash, many came running to help, including one man who said he simply did what anyone would do.
"They were taking kids out of the back, and as we got down there closer, they were just handing them out and we were just laying them over there in the grass as they were handing them out the door," said Johnson Veck.
Veck said the kids were hysterical and confused about what happened with some even drifting in and out of consciousness.
He said he helped carry them to the grass by the van and helped calm them while waiting for paramedics.
"Kids can't really tell you what's wrong with them, and some of their jaws were puffed up and you could see broken legs, and some were complaining of their chest and blood was all over them, and they were crying and asking for mommy. It was just horrible," Veck said.
It wasn't clear whether anyone in the heavy-duty van was wearing a seat belt. More information was expected Wednesday.
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