Parents Dead After Being Hit by Car in Front of 7-Year-Old Daughter, Who Was Only a ‘Few Feet Away’

Mar. 15, 2025

Yanique Pierre and Ronald Jean-Baptiste, who were killed while trying to cross a roadway in Florida on Aug. 9, 2024.Photo:Rodnicha Jean Baptiste/GoFundMe

Rodnicha Jean Baptiste/GoFundMe

The crash occurred at the intersection of South Florida Avenue and Imperial Boulevard shortly before 11 p.m. local time, per officials. The girl, who was just “a few feet away” from her parents at the time, was not physically injured.

Despite receiving life-saving measures from first-responders, the couple was pronounced dead at the scene. Their daughter is now “in the care of family members.”

Jean-Baptiste worked as a pastor while Pierre worked at a salon, according to Christine Cummings, the couple’s longtime neighbor, perFOX affiliate WFXT. They had three children, she said.

“They were too young,” Cummings told the station. “My heart breaks for those two.

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Preliminary evidence and statements from witnesses indicate that the driver “had a green light while traveling through the intersection of Imperial Boulevard” at the time of the crash, according to city officials.

The 22-year-old driver, who was not injured, remained at the scene after the crash, which remains under investigation. Officials said the driver “did not exhibit obvious indications of impairment at the scene.”

“It’s a business area so even though it’s late at night, there still can be pedestrians walking around,” she explained.

So far, no charges have been filed.

More than $33,000 has been raised so far through aGoFundMe campaignstarted to support the couple’s three daughters in wake of the tragedy.

“May god be with them all,” said Cummings, per WFXT. “They were just wonderful people."

source: people.com