Vigil to be held for 6-year-old killed in car, truck crash near Detroit Medical Center

Car struck by truck at Brush, Hancock streets in Detroit; 1 child killed, 1 in critical condition, 1 in stable condition

DETROIT – A candlelight vigil will be held Saturday night for 6-year-old Tanijah Streety.  The vigil starts at 6 p.m. at 11318 Broadstreet Avenue in Detroit.

A truck struck a car Monday morning, June 18 at Brush and Hancock streets near the Detroit Medical Center, killing one child.

The Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed a 6-year-old Tanijah Streety was killed and two other children were injured when the Mercury Sable they were riding in was struck by a dump truck. Family members said Tanijah was a student at Hope Academy.

Mike Rowe was working in the area and tried to save the girl.

"I picked up the little girl and I went under the tree with her, and I just cradled her in my arms," Rowe said.

One child, a 6-year-old boy, is in critical condition and the other is in stable condition. There were no car seats or child safety seats in the Sable. Police investigators said at least one rear seat belt was not used at all. At a home where the car is registered a child car seat is on the front porch.

Detroit police were at the crash investigating.

Images: Truck strikes car

Two women, mothers of the child passengers, were in the car. Tanijah's mother owns the vehicle but was not driving. Police said the woman driving the Sable during the crash does not have a valid driver's license.

Truck driver says there was nothing he could do

The truck driver told Local 4 that the driver of the Sable blew a stop sign while traveling east on Hancock Street. The truck was traveling north on Brush Street when the vehicles collided. He said there was nothing he could do.

"Was no stopping," said driver Howard Grant, of Polos Trucking. "Just ran through the stop sign. She was there. I was there. That was it."

Grant said he has been driving for 35 years. He did not say how fast he was traveling when the crash occurred. He had the right away on northbound Brush Street.

The truck was loaded with dirt from a nearby construction project. It weight 28 tons.

Surveillance video captures deadly Detroit crash

Surveillance video from a nearby business shows a car running a stop sign then hitting a dump truck which had the right away.

-- Tanijah Streety