Young girl killed in Brooklyn car crash

Sandra Bookman Image
Monday, May 5, 2014
Young girl killed in Brooklyn car crash
Sandra Bookman reports on the 9-year-old girl who died in a car crash in Brooklyn and her mother's statement on the suspect.

Canarsie (WABC) -- CANARSIE (WABC) -- We're hearing from the family of a 9-year-old girl killed in a violent crash in Brooklyn on Sunday. Rebecca Ramnarine died in the crash and the driver has been charged.

"She was so very sweet," her mother, Abiola Ramnarine, said. "I still can't believe it's real...Very loving, she was loved by everyone. She was very giving. She was taken too soon."

The deadly chain of events played out around 7 p.m. after the family left church on Remsen Avenue and Avenue N in Canarsie.

Area residents say the multi-car collision was one of the worst accidents they've ever seen, describing the impact as a loud roar like thunder. They say the worst part was watching responders pull the victim's lifeless body from the vehicle.

Police say they attempted to stop 62-year-old Kenneth Palache, who was was driving a Honda minivan suspected in another hit and run. After initially stopping, Palache sped away, but crashed into a Hyundai sedan just two blocks away. Rebecca was a passenger inside the sedan, which also struck by another vehicle.

Responders had to remove Ramnarine from the vehicle. Witnesses said she was not moving.

"I got the phone call, and when I got to the scene, I saw the ambulance took my daughter like a ragdoll out of the car," Abioal said. "It's very foolish that my 9-year-old is in a morgue because you had one accident, left that accident, and then plowed into the back of my daughter's car, all because of a suspended license? That's not fair."

Two other occupants in the sedan and three occupants in the other vehicle were hospitalized in stable condition.

Police took Palache into custody at the scene. He is charged with criminally negligent homicide, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, leaving the scene of an accident - failure to show license and aggravated unlicensed operator of a motor vehicle.

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