YULEE, Fla. – A 4-year-old girl suffered critical injuries Wednesday night when the driver of the car she was riding in hit multiple vehicles and rammed one intentionally, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report.
FHP confirmed Thursday that Andy Aldair Reyes Ramos, 23, has been arrested and is facing multiple charges, including DUI and child neglect.
According to troopers, the silver Hyundai Sonata that Ramos was driving collided with another car on State Road 200 and Old Nassauville Road around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. Ramos fled that scene and began driving west on State Road 200, troopers said.
At the intersection of Santa Barbara Road and SR 200, the Sonata hit a Ford SUV, according to the FHP, but before leaving that scene, Ramos turned around and intentionally rammed the SUV again. The 41-year-old female driver of the SUV suffered minor injuries.
Ramos fled to Harry Green Road where the car broke down and Nassau County deputies caught up with him, FHP said.
Inside the car, they found the 4-year-old girl suffering critical injuries. Emergency personnel said the girl’s seat belt wasn’t properly fastened and she was not restrained in a car seat. The girl’s mother contacted News4JAX to dispute that account, saying her child was restrained in a booster seat with a seat belt and has abdominal contusions supporting that.
A witness described the commotion.
“We had just come out on the porch and we were standing out there and we heard a big boom,” said neighbor Scott Alspaugh.
That boom was the crash happening at State Road 200 and Santa Barbara Road.
“We heard metal dragging, and he drove by us and the passenger side of the car was smashed in and you could see that the passenger side airbags were all deployed,” Alspaugh said.
Alspaugh said Ramos didn’t make it far after his car broke down and deputies quickly arrived at the scene.
“They took him out of handcuffs put him in the car and the EMTs came and took the little girl off to the hospital,” he said.
Glass could still be seen scattered across Highway 200 on Thursday night.
Ramos, who was wearing a seat belt, was not injured. He was arrested and charged with two counts of driving under the influence with serious bodily injury, two counts of hit and run with serious bodily injury, two counts of child neglect, one count of aggravated battery and one count of reckless driving.