Crash nearly destroys day care

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A police chase ended with a crash at a day care injuring four children and a daycare worker on the north side Thursday afternoon. One boy remains in critical condition at the hospital as police question two suspects.

Darron Crowe, 21, and Theo Sanford, 19, are in police custody. Officers are still looking for a third suspect.

Authorities and parents alike can't believe more children weren't injured. Stepping Stones Childcare on 45th Street and Allisonville Road looks like a tornado ripped through it. Contractors finished boarding up Thursday night the large hole the suspects’ vehicle left behind.

Day care owner Kara Hardister said her cook, Dala Price, was serving lunch to 17 young children. Price and four of the kids were hurt when the Jeep Cherokee slammed through the wall. Some were wheeled out on stretchers while others were carried in the arms of paramedics.

"I just wanted to make sure everybody was fine," said Hardister.

Everything happened so fast the day care didn't have time to call parents. Most heard about it on TV.

"It's hectic to see on television," said one child's grandfather, Reggie Holt. "It's surreal and then you think, 'Oh my God! My granddaughter is there.' You rush over and you can't get past the tape and everyone says 'stay back.'"

Authorities said the crash practically caused an explosion of bricks and mortar. After the scene cleared, contractors boarded up the hole as a temporary fix. The next step is cleaning up the mess and making the permanent repairs. The day care said they don't know when they'll be able to reopen.

"My heart is still pounding," said daycare worker, Tiah Watts. "Hearing about it and then seeing it are two totally different things. I'm about to cry. Just talking about it is making me emotional."

Authorities said Thursday's crash had the potential to be catastrophic but, fortunately, Hardister had taken more than half of the kids on a field trip to Disney on Ice.

“It was like a blessing from God that we were on a field trip and there weren't more kids here," said Watts.

Hardister said parents can take their kids to the other Stepping Stones Daycare on East 62nd Street in Indianapolis beginning at 5 a.m. until the other location reopens.