A 7-year-old girl had the innocent but heroic intention to save her father who was allegedly involved in a suspected drunken driving crash early Sunday but as tragedy would painfully have it, she was killed while trying to cross an interstate in Romulus in Michigan to seek for help.
Police say a 7-year-old girl was riding in a car with her dad who was drunk at the time, when he hit an abandoned vehicle and drove off the roadway.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">RiP baby girl <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeSandraThomas?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DeSandraThomas</a> HEARTBREAKING: DeSandra Thomas' father got into an accident in the middle of the night and the little girl thought he was dead. So, the 7-year-old got out of their car and started walking to find help, but was killed… <a href="https://t.co/iqGRHBhFTP">https://t.co/iqGRHBhFTP</a></p>— cathy moore (@cathymoore2) <a href="https://twitter.com/cathymoore2/status/1019041286282731530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The little, determined girl has been identified as DeSandra Mariah Thomas. Before meeting her ill-fate crossing the street, DeSandra had been sending Romulo police text messages requesting for help to rescue her father who was knocked unconscious at the time. She even said in one of her text messages that she thought her father had died.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The remaining pieces of my heart just broke for DeSandra Thomas and her family. Rest in Peace and Power young Angel! <a href="https://t.co/RSNKLBpbJ7">https://t.co/RSNKLBpbJ7</a></p>— Maureen (@Maureen2) <a href="https://twitter.com/Maureen2/status/1019056322573025282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Troopers arrived at eastbound I-94 and Inkster Road in response to a driver who said she believed she may have hit a person. The officers then started investigating and didn’t see damage to the woman’s vehicle or noticed an injured person or animal in the area.
DeSandra decided to cross the interstate to find immediate help for her father when she was tragically struck by the vehicle Michigan State Police Officers were then investigating.
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The 7-year-old girl, unfortunately, died instantly from the accident’s impact.
The father she was trying heroically to save, who was allegedly driving drunk, is in police custody after being checked and cleared of any injuries.
The driver of the car that hit the young girl has been released. She is not expected to be charged.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Grieving mother speaks after 7-year old daughter was killed in crash on I-94 <a href="https://t.co/qGBteDvU3M">https://t.co/qGBteDvU3M</a> <a href="https://t.co/xFKQ1cfxK3">pic.twitter.com/xFKQ1cfxK3</a></p>— FOX 2 Detroit (@FOX2News) <a href="https://twitter.com/FOX2News/status/1018678117701902337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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DeSandra’s mother, Sandria Burts, is devastated with the young girl’s death, saying she lost a real-life angel. Burts said: “It’s a void that will never be filled, never be filled. Anybody that she touched she was a blessing to them.”
The grieving mother added: : “She was a beautiful thing, she was on her way to the third grade. She was 7 years old, she would give you the shirt off her back. She was so helpful.”
Burts was initially told that she could not have children and waited for 20 years to have DeSandra, fostering and becoming an adoptive mother to two children in the process before being blessed with her own biological daughter in DeSandra. She said of DeSandra: “I love her and I miss her so much.”
Social media users expressed their sympathies to the family of DeSandra for the heartbreaking loss.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">That was so sad. I just can’t imagine the heartache this mother is feeling.</p>— cheryl koppitch (@sizemorekopp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sizemorekopp/status/1018680897690918912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">My heart is broken for all of you. I'm so sorry for your tragedy 💕</p>— Kristin Savage (@KristinSavage12) <a href="https://twitter.com/KristinSavage12/status/1019018677595922432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This made me tear up. I hope her mother is able to find peace.</p>— Thomas Clyburn (@RedCly) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedCly/status/1018941642479493120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Omg how incredibly sad! My prayers to all involved!</p>— Amy DeLeon (@phinosgirl) <a href="https://twitter.com/phinosgirl/status/1018683255606956032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">DeSandra Thomas, have a lovely time in heaven, you deserve it. but know we won’t forget you. You were your daddy’s hero! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/desandrathomas?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#desandrathomas</a></p>— Mac (@WeaverMac) <a href="https://twitter.com/WeaverMac/status/1019050951569575937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Michigan State Police Lt. Mike Shaw said that the tragedy could have been prevented if the father made the decision to not drive while drunk. He said: “This poor child, a 7-year-old, doesn’t get to live the rest of her life because of a decision that an adult made.”
Source:
Twitter: #MAGA #KeepAmericaGreat! #Michigan #ChildHero #DUI #Tragedy
Sad cause it seems the few black fathers that are around for their kids are irresponsible.
Tragic that her pure heart has to pay the price for her deadbeat dad's irresponsibility. Terrible parenting, terrible father. This will haunt him for as long as he lives.
This is tragic. Poor baby girl. But she is in heaven now. I hope her father never drinks again. Her mama must be so heartbroken. Her father is an irresponsible, selfish creep. Who would drink and drive when their little child is with them?