Mom driving with kids crashes into canal, leaving 8-year-old dead, Florida cops say

A mother driving with two of her children crashed into a canal, leaving her 8-year-old son dead, according to Florida police.

The woman was driving in South Daytona at around 7:35 p.m. on Nov. 2 when her car struck a curb, causing it to veer over a bridge and into a canal. Lt. Bryan Craig, of the South Daytona Police Department, told McClatchy News.

When officers arrived on scene, the car was flipped upside down and about 75% submerged, he said.

The mother, who is 30, was taken to a local hospital where she was listed in critical condition, Craig said. Her 10-year-old daughter was brought to a pediatric hospital in Gainesville, where she was also listed in critical condition.

The 8-year-old boy, who officials identified as Jordinho Stenneth, died at the scene. Medical staff told police that he had no external injuries, leading them to believe that he drowned, Craig said. His official cause of death has yet to be determined.

Jordinho was a student at South Daytona Elementary School, Craig said. South Daytona is about 55 miles northeast of Orlando.

A spokesperson for Volusia County Schools said in a statement that guidance counselors would be available to help students.

“Our sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of our beloved student,” the statement says. “... This is a difficult time for everyone, but we know our students and staff at South Daytona Elementary School will be able to lean on each other as they remember their classmate.”

This story was originally published November 3, 2022 at 12:39 PM with the headline "Mom driving with kids crashes into canal, leaving 8-year-old dead, Florida cops say."