Andrea Medeiros
amedeiros@abc6.com
Updated: A twelve year old girl is dead after being hit by a car and thrown over a guard rail in Smithfield, Sunday.
Cars were buzzing by on Route 44, Monday, the place where 12 year old Daniela Heredia was hit while walking with her friends Sunday afternoon.
"As they went down the road, one of them, Daniela, who was kind of down towards the front was about two meters in front of the girls and the car swerved and hit her," said Mater Ecclesiae Camp Outreach Director Renee Pomarico.
Daniela was one of eight girls from Guatemala spending the week at the summer camp. The group was just coming back from picking up souvenirs for their families and grabbing lunch.
They were walking on the sidewalk back to camp when one of the cars driving by jumped the curb, threw Daniela over the guard rail and she ended up in a rocky ditch.
Daniela later died. Two of the other girls were also injured from flying debris but are expected to be okay.
Neighbors can still see the candy wrappers scattered on the sidewalk where the accident happened.
"That was a poor thing to happen for a young girl just walking down the road," said neighbor John Carsetti, "It's a terrible thing to happen for any parent."
Daniela's parents rushed to the camp Sunday night from Guatemala. Counselors are holding several ceremonies for their daughter.
They're trying to find peace in the tragedy that took a young girl's life and help her friends remember the vibrant young lady she was.
"She was very excited to come to camp," said camp director Pomarico, "She said I'm going to Rhode Island to meet Christ, and she was a great example for her friends."
80-year-old Thomas J. Hickey of North Scituate jumped the curb and hit Daniela. He hasn't been charged, but police are trying to revoke his license.
