The parents of the six-year-old girl Harlow Tran, who was killed during a crash involving a fleeing driver in Coral Springs, Florida, are suing the department over officers’ negligence.
The accident happened on May 5, 2024, when Harlow was riding in her great-grandmother’s SUV. The vehicle was struck by 26-year-old Chevon Dalton Graham, who was fleeing a police traffic stop.
The police officer on duty was identified as Patrol Officer John Daddino, who had asked Graham to pull over after seeing his dark tints. Graham did not stop and drove away at a high speed of more than 100 mph.
At that time, the police officer had turned off his emergency lights and siren as per the department policy. Meanwhile, Graham’s vehicle sped towards the intersection of West Sample Road and Northwest 85th Avenue.
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Graham’s car slammed into the family’s SUV with such force that it split the vehicle in two and threw Harlow’s car seat through the wreckage. The child was airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment but later died due to severe injuries. There were two other passengers in the SUV who suffered minor injuries.
Graham was arrested and charged with reckless driving, vehicular homicide, and aggravated fleeing resulting in serious bodily injury or death. He’s currently awaiting trial.
Harlow’s parents, Samari Curbelo and Danny Tran, later filed a lawsuit against the City of Coral Springs. According to court documents, they allege Officer Daddino and Graham were involved in an unnecessary high-speed police pursuit that led to their daughter’s death.
The grieving parents claimed Officer Daddino was negligent when he initiated the “dangerous and unreasonable vehicle pursuit.” They added that the officer did not end the risky chase even when it posed a risk to the public. Moreover, the car chase was over a minor, nonviolent offense.
When the accident happened, Harlow’s parents were just a few blocks away but were not called immediately. Tran told NBC 6 South Florida they didn’t get a call “until the ambulance showed up.”
The family is suing and seeking a $50,000 settlement for pain and suffering under Florida’s Wrongful Death Act. With the settlement money, they’ll be able to cover some expenses related to the funeral, but it won’t bring their daughter back. The parents remembered Harlow as a princess as well as a knight. They claimed, “She had a really big personality.
The family’s attorney noted, “That’s the point of these policies, and it’s important they’re adhered to. When policies are not adhered to is when there’s a significant chance of ending with results like this.”
On the other hand, Coral Springs officials claimed the accident did not happen due to a car chase, as the officer had turned off his siren and lights. According to them, he was following department policy. The surveillance footage in the case was inconclusive, as the officer’s car reached the collision scene in 3 seconds.
This prompted the father to ask, “So, if you have a no-chase policy, how did you show up so quickly?” The officer’s vehicle lights and siren were on at one point and later turned off according to the surveillance video.
Disclaimer: Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available.
