Fatal Redwood City crash leaves 2 kids without parents; community calls for improved traffic safety
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (KGO) -- A tragic crash in Redwood City has left two 7-year-old girls without parents, and community members are looking for changes in the area where it all happened.
The community has stepped up to support the two daughters of Grace and Greg Ammen, as a GoFundMe page raised tens of thousands of dollars in less than a day.
ABC7 News connected with a brother of Greg Ammen on social media, who did not want to speak on camera.
The tragedy happened Friday night at El Camino Real and Finger Ave. in Redwood City.
Surveillance video was shared by a business across the street. It shows the moments just after a speeding car hit the family's vehicle as they were making a turn, the impact forcing them to hit at least two poles and almost a building.
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A witness described what he saw Friday night.
"I was in my car and these two cars were speeding past and driving super fast," the witness said, "This other car came down this way and it was just like boom."
Redwood City police say one of the cars involved in the crash had a 17-year-old driver and two passengers.
They were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The other vehicle was the Ammens'.
ABC7 reached out to the Redwood City Police Department to find out more information into any possible arrests that were made or to see if drugs and alcohol were a factor.
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Police Chief Dan Mulholland issued this statement: "This remains a very active, ongoing investigation and more information will be released as soon as it is available. There are no words to express the magnitude of this loss. We are all mourning this tragedy together."
Redwood City Mayor Giselle Hale also released a statement: "This was a tragic event for all involved. On behalf of the Redwood City City Council, we extend our deepest sympathies to the two young children who tragically lost their parents. Grief and stress counseling have been made available to students and families, and to first responders who provided emergency assistance at the scene."
Hung Nguyen owns one of the businesses just across the street. He found out about the accident the next morning.
"No one should go through that," Nguyen said, "It's tragic, especially kids that now have no parents, it's sad."
Nguyen says that El Camino Real constantly sees people speeding and that he's sad to say he's not surprised that an accident like Friday's happened. He says his hope is that the city makes changes to the area.
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"They need to change, put lights or stop signs because there's accidents all the time," Nguyen said, "I'm in my business here and I'm always seeing people honking pedestrians walking and people don't stop."
Like cities around the Bay Area, Redwood City's Department of Transportation has a Vision Zero strategy the city says hopes to eliminate all traffic fatalities.
ABC7 News asked a city spokesperson to give more information on that strategy and to confirm if the area of the crash was one of concern, and did not receive a response.
For now, a family continues to mourn a tragic and shocking loss.
To find out more about the GoFundMe page, click here.
The Redwood City Police Department says they urge anyone with information into the crash to contact their investigations unit at (650) 780-7111.
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