LANCASTER, Pa. — A Terre Hill woman is charged in connection with a September vehicle crash that killed a 2-year-old girl.
Grace N. Martin, 23, told police she drove down a driveway on South Farmersville Road toward three young children and honked the horn to scare them – but the minivan did not stop.
A 2-year-old girl, Martin’s niece, was struck and died an hour later. The two other children, ages 3 and 4, were able to get out of the way.
West Earl police Detective Dawn Ray charged Martin on Thursday with misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter and three counts of reckless endangerment for the Sept. 20 incident. Assistant District Attorney Christopher Sarno approved the charges.
Martin turned herself in for arraignment Friday morning, when she also waived a preliminary hearing. District Judge Rodney Hartman ordered the charges to Lancaster County Court and set bail at $10,000 unsecured.
On Sept. 20, Martin was visiting the children and their parents at the home in the 300 block of South Farmersville Road, which has a long driveway leading to a home and barn.
Martin told police she tried to stop as she approached the children, but the minivan “would not stop.”
The child was pinned against the barn, then transported to Lancaster General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Pennsylvania State Police troopers inspected and tested the minivan and determined it was in working order without mechanical issues.