Doctors at Jackson Memorial Hospital are fighting to save the life of a 7-year-old girl who is critically injured after being struck by a vehicle driven by an elderly woman in Miami.
The girl, identified as Stephanie Alonso, was involved in the accident on Monday afternoon while walking with her mother outside the Navarro Discount Pharmacy on Southwest 32nd Avenue and Coral Way.
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According to Joany Figueredo, Stephanie's father, the girl's mother is too traumatized to speak following the incident.
“I received a call from her mother — when I arrived at the hospital and saw my daughter in this condition,” Figueredo said. “I thought that wasn’t her.”
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A Miami Police report said that around 4 p.m. as Stephanie and her mother were walking, the elderly driver accidentally accelerated rather than applying the brakes, striking the young girl.
“She hit my daughter, and she hit the wall,” Figueredo said. “She got out of the car and acted like nothing happened.”
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Emergency medical responders transported Stephanie to the hospital with severe head injuries in critical condition.
“The main concern right now is about the head,” Figueredo said. “Her medical condition right now — we don’t know what is going to happen.”
The father expressed concern not only about his daughter’s condition, but also about the broader issue of elderly drivers on the road.
“What is happening? Why is a person who is 92 years old driving? There should be an age limit for driving,” he said.
As the family remains hopeful, they are calling for changes to improve safety and prevent similar incidents in the future.
Police said the driver remained on scene and charges are pending.
The family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to aid in Stephanie’s hopeful recovery.
