PROVO, Utah — The day after a two-year-old girl was killed, and a 4-year-old boy injured, after being struck by a vehicle in Provo, a family is left wondering why the woman arrested was driving as she was in the first place.
The Sandoval-Martinez family tolf FOX 13 News that they spent Tuesday much like any other. Jorge Sandoval was with his kids outside their home at the Brough Trailer Court around 1 p.m., and were planning to go out to lunch together.
That’s when police said Nereyda Miranda was driving throught the community with trash bags on the hood of her car in the moments before - hitting and killing two-year-old Claudia Isela Sandoval.
“He doesn’t know why the lady didn’t look out, why she had bags on her car,” said Claudia's aunt, Kathleen Vaca Zepeda, translating for Sandovalm
The family added that Miranda lived in the trailer court, just a matter of feet from the nearest dumpster.
“She could’ve just walked to the dumpster, thrown out her trash, went back to her car and headed on her way,” Zepeda claimed.
Initially arrested on a manslaughter charge, court documents also show the 28-year-old is a Guatemalan native and now has a federal ICE hold.
Sandoval’s hands are still scarred from punching through her car window as he spoke with raw emotion about what happened.
“I didn’t leave my kids by the side of the road - I was with them, every second,” Sandoval said while holding back tears.
Four-year-old Esequiel who was injured is now home from the hospital.
“He can’t walk,” explained Zepeda. “His leg and foot are turning purple as of now.”
The family has left the neighborhood as their daughter’s sudden absence is still too much to bear. They're seeking help with funeral costs and medical expenses, with Zepeda having organized a fundraiser to help her family through a painful tragedy.
