NEED TO KNOW
On Friday, Jan. 2, a car crash in New York left a 90-year-old man dead and another person critically injured A six-year-old girl succumbed to injuries sustained in the incident two days later “She was tender, joyful, playful, and so deeply loved,” a family member’s fundraiser remebering the child reads
A child has died two days after a car crash that left a fellow passenger dead and the driver of the vehicle critically injured.
On Friday, Jan. 2, the trio was traveling southbound near the intersection of Rockland Avenue and Forest Hill Road in Staten Island, New York, when they crashed into an Audi Q5 that was trying to turn left onto Forest Hill Road, according to NBC New York and SILive.com.
A 90-year-old male front passenger, identified as Gerardo Avila, died, while the car’s 70-year old driver was critically injured. A six-year-old girl, identified as Anheli Vasquez-Trinidad, was sitting in the back of the vehicle at the time of the incident.
Vasquez-Trinidad succumbed to her injuries two days after the crash, the outlets reported, citing the New York Police Department.
NYPD police patrol car.
Getty
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The Audi’s 50-year-old male driver was taken to the hospital for treatment.
A GoFundMe page organized by Sandra Figueroa on behalf of Vasquez-Trinidad’s family has raised over $23,000 towards its goal.
“With heartbreaking sadness, we share that our precious Anheli Vazquez left this world on Sunday, January 4, 2026, after a tragic vehicle collision in New Springville on Friday morning,” Figueroa wrote on the fundraiser. “Anheli was only 6 years old, yet she carried a light big enough to warm every heart around her.”
Ambulance in traffic (stock image).
Getty
“She was tender, joyful, playful, and so deeply loved. Losing her has broken us in ways we never imagined,” Figueroa continued. “There is an emptiness in our home, in our arms, and in our lives that can never be filled.”
She concluded, “We were not prepared for this unimaginable pain, nor for the financial burden of giving Anheli the beautiful, dignified farewell she deserves. We are hoping to raise $35,000 to cover her funeral services, burial arrangements, and memorial — a final act of love for our little girl.”
PEOPLE has contacted the NYPD for further comment.