Vigil For 7-Year-Old Na'Tasha Newman; Girl Struck, Killed Outside School
ESSEX, Md. (WJZ) -- Scores of people gathered to remember 7-year-old Na'Tasha Newman. The second-grader died Thursday after she was struck by a van.
Na'Tasha was struck outside the school in the 900 block of South Marlyn Ave. by a white work van around 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
When the first officer arrived on the scene, they immediately began CPR, and was rushed to Franklin Square Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
7-Year-Old Dead After Being Struck By Vehicle Outside Essex School
The Baltimore County Police Department says their investigation found that 7-year-old Na'Tasha Newman was running down the sidewalk after a group of children when she darted out in front of the van as it began to exit the townhome community onto South Maryln Avenue.
They believe she may have been trying to catch up with her brothers.
"Yesterday when we walked across the field he said to me grandmom I'll never be able to look at this place the same way, and I know it because I can't even look at it the same way," says Kathleen Abdelhalim, Natasha's grandmother.
"Na'Tasha is just the sweetest little girl you could ever imagine. She always had a smile on her face no matter what was going on in her life," said her grandmother Kathleen.
The van's driver remained on scene.
One witness said the driver tried to save her.
"The driver saw the large group of kids crossing and he waited for that larger group of kids to cross before he started to pull out into the driveway. He was going at a slow speed as far as we can tell, he pulled out into the driveway he may not have been able to see her, there's bushes here, only 7-years-old, so it is entirely possible he was just not able to see her as he was trying to pull out," said Officer Jennifer Peach, with Baltimore County Police.
Na'Tasha was in second grade, and she had just been on a field trip to the zoo Thursday.
Na'Tasha Newman
James Newman, Na'Tasha's father, said he never thought he would have to live through this nightmare, losing his only daughter.
"It's very devastating, it felt like somebody took like an organ out," Newman said. "Just to lose a loved one is one thing, but when you got to bury your child, she ain't even seen 10 years old."
Na'Tashamemorial service will be this Saturday at 1 p.m. at March Funeral Home, located at 4300 Wabash Avenue, Baltimore, Md.
A GoFundMe page has been set up in memory of Na'Tasha and to help the family cover funeral costs for her.
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