First-grader with ‘loving personality’ hit, killed after running into road, GA cops say
A south Georgia community is mourning a 7-year-old girl after she was hit and killed by an SUV, according to state troopers.
Daniela Vasquez Mazariegos was standing with her mother in the eastbound lane of GA 46 in Candler County late Monday, Oct. 24, as they waited for the traffic to clear, Georgia State Patrol and news outlets reported.
At some point, Daniela broke free from her mom and ran into the road where she was hit by a GMC Yukon heading westbound, troopers said. She was airlifted to a hospital in Savannah where she died the next day.
Daniela, who was enrolled in the first grade at Metter Elementary School in Metter, loved to paint, ride her bike and play soccer, according to an online obituary. Her “bright smile, loving personality (and) excitement for learning” are what her teachers said they will miss most.
“It is with great sadness that we share the loss of our student,” a statement posted on the school’s Facebook page reads. “The students and staff at Metter Elementary School would like to convey our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Daniela.”
A funeral is planned for Saturday, Oct. 29, at Holy Family Catholic Church, according to the obituary.
Troopers said the crash remains under investigation.
Metter is about 65 miles northwest of Savannah.
This story was originally published October 27, 2022 at 9:29 AM with the headline "First-grader with ‘loving personality’ hit, killed after running into road, GA cops say."