Three children, three adults injured after truck slams into Clearwater daycare

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Three children and three adults were taken to local hospitals after a truck slammed into a Clearwater daycare on Lakeview Road, city officials said. 

Clearwater police and firefighters said they responded to the Building Blocks at Clearwater daycare center at around 5:23 p.m. on Monday. Officials said the kids taken to the hospital were 2, 3 and 5 years old. The adults taken to the hospital included the mother of the children, the truck driver and a teacher for the daycare. 

"It’s a horrible accident that happened. It’s a bad feeling at the same time. I wish it didn’t happen, but it did happen," Ayman Saed, the owner of Building Blocks at Clearwater Daycare said. "I’m glad that the kids and the parent and the staff are doing well and they’re not in critical condition. Thank god for that."

Everyone who was taken to local hospitals had non-life-threatening injuries, according to Clearwater officials. 

First responders said the truck, who was driven by a grandmother, was pulling into the parking lot of the daycare to pick up a child around dismissal time. That's when the driver saw a small child near the truck, and went to hit her brakes when she actually hit her accelerator. 

Officials said the truck lurched forward and hit the building, hitting a woman and her three children as well as a teacher. The driver was cited for careless driving. 

"All of the injuries are not life-threatening. That’s where we’re extremely fortunate here," Rob Shaw, the public information officer for the Clearwater Police Department, said. "This could have been a true disaster of a lot more serious proportions. We’re thankful that the children didn’t suffer great injuries or the adults."

Firefighters said they shored up the area of the daycare that was hit by the truck. The city's building department will visit the structure Tuesday to further examine the building.