More details late tonight about the accident that ended in the death of 12-year old Dashane Santana Friday afternoon. The resident of the Riis Houses had just gotten out of school for the week.
The New York Post reports she was walking to Dunkin’ Donuts with friends for an afternoon snack when a minivan heading onto the Williamsburg Bridge struck her.
The girl’s mother, Shamika Benjamin, told the Post, she dropped a bookbag while crossing Delancey Street. When Santana turned around to pick it up, the minivan hit her.
While police are telling reporters and the family that the driver won’t be charged, we understand it is not at all clear whether the motorist had a green light. Katherine Ramirez, a manager at the Sneak Jeans store on Delancey, said, “the light was was with them (the kids), and the car just came out of nowhere.”
More from the Post story:
Dashane’s mother said she asked cops why the driver wouldn’t be charged, and was told he didn’t run a red light. “I’m not okay with that,” she said. Benjamin said Dashane had dreamed of being an actress, and had recently scored a part as an extra in a film shot in the neighborhood. “She was a loving little girl, everybody loved her. That was my little girl,” her mom said. Dashane’s godmother, Karen Owens, said she still cannot process the horrific news. “Everyday after school she came over to my house,” Owens said. “I don’t know how I’m going to go home after this. It’s breaking me up.”
DNA Info reports:
The boyfriend of Santana’s mother described Dashane, who attended CASTLE Middle School on Henry Street, as a talented young girl who danced, played the flute and piano, and wanted to attend the prestigious Juilliard School. “She was very witty. She was wiser than you would expect for a 12-year-old,” said Robert White, 24, from the family’s home Friday night. “The last thing she said to me was I’ll see you after school.” Dashane had a younger brother and grew up in the neighborhood her whole life, White added.
