KHOU TEXAS: Officials investigating local day care after 16 kids injured in van crash

by Andrew Horansky / KHOU 11 News

khou.com

Posted on July 10, 2012 at 5:47 PM

Updated Wednesday, Jul 11 at 10:48 AM

HOUSTON – A local day care was under investigation Tuesday, the day after one of the center’s vans crashed, injuring 16 children.

The Alpha Kids Center can no longer transport any kids on vans, at the request of officials with the Department of Family and Protective Services, who are investigating the day care.

Neither the owner of Alpha Kids nor her staff members were commenting about the crash and subsequent investigation Tuesday.

But both the owner, Darryl Freeman, and the van driver, Concepcion Coronado, were facing charges in connection with the crash.

Click here to read original article on KHOU TEXAS on line.

Police said the children, ranging in age from 6 to 12, were headed home from a field trip when Coronado ran a red light in the 10000 block of Gulf Bank and was struck by a pickup.

In addition to the 16 kids, there were two adults in the van – and according to police, not enough seatbelts to go around.

Because of that, both Freeman and Coronado are facing charges of child endangerment.

A sign outside the Alpha Kids Center on Tuesday indicated that they were open, and at one point, workers stepped outside to count seatbelts on one of their vans.

A spokeswoman with the Department of Family and Protective Services said investigators are looking at the seatbelt issue, and also whether the van involved in the crash was properly marked. Under Texas law, it’s illegal to take a field trip without the name and number of the day care clearly marked on the vehicle.

Freeman has bonded out of jail, but as of Tuesday evening, Coronado was still behind bars.

As for the kids – fortunately – there were no serious injuries.


Click here to read original article on KHOU TEXAS on line.