FORT WORTH, Texas (KTVT) – A pair of Texas parents are calling it an “act of God” that their 2-year-old daughter wasn’t hit by a car that crashed through a fence into their backyard.
Surveillance video shows the moment a car crashed through a Fort Worth family’s fence last Sunday evening, narrowly missing their 2-year-old daughter and 5-year-old twin sons as they played in the backyard. The toddler can be seen getting out of the way with just seconds to spare before debris flies in her direction.
The Van Dusen family says all three children were OK, with the parents calling it “an act of God” that their daughter wasn’t hit.
Fort Worth Police say a passenger in the car was taken to the hospital, and the driver, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was cited for reckless driving.
“What happened to our family was not simply an accident. It was a terrifying reminder of how quickly reckless driving can turn into a tragedy,” the Van Dusens said in a statement. “We are not interested in simply pointing fingers. We want to turn what happened to our family into meaningful change.”
Neighbors say dangerous driving in the area isn’t new to them. Following this incident, their city council member, Charlie Lauersdorf, says he’s going to try and make changes immediately.
“My immediate goal is to have a stop sign put up right behind me. Any time you have these new developments that just have long stretches of road with nothing to slow drivers down, that’s a problem,” Lauersdorf said.
But neighbors like Toni Gunter are worried they may need more.
“I just don’t know that they’re really going to do anything that will stop it. It’s too much money, and they don’t want to spend it. I understand, but I don’t know if you could convince that father that his daughter isn’t worth it,” Gunter said.
Lauersdorf said he hopes a stop sign can be installed within 30 days, if not sooner, and that the next step would be to do a full traffic study and see if a stoplight could be put in on that road.
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