Truck Crashes Into 12-Year-Old Girls Who Were Just On A Walk After Sleepover | One Of Them Died

Authorities in Washington state have identified a person of interest in connection to the hit-and-run over the weekend that killed a girl and left her friend injured. 12-year-old Immaculee Goldade was pronounced dead at the scene of Friday's accident, while her best friend, Kathleen Olson, survived the crash with serious injuries, reports KING 5. The pair were reportedly walking home after a sleepover the night before when they were struck by a flatbed truck on 14th Street East near 14th Avenue Ct. East. According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, the truck was stolen from a local business shortly before the fatal incident.

The vehicle was recovered Saturday evening when investigators found the damaged truck at a gas station. They've also obtained surveillance footage of a person of interest which shows the person arriving at 8401 Canyon Road East alone around 7:23 a.m. He purchased a few snacks and paid with cash before leaving on foot. "They'll find him. Whether he wants to come forward, somebody will see him and will turn him in," said neighbor Cheyanne Carter. "I think he gets what he gets if they find him. Plain and simple. It's like, you don't do that," said Wendy Borg, who also lives nearby.

According to Kathleen's mother, Rachel Olson, the two girls were friends since birth. The last thing her daughter remembers before being hit by the truck, she shared, was holding hands with Immaculee and her friend saying "we're almost home." Kathleen, who was treated at the hospital and released, is expected to make a full recovery. Speaking to KCPQ, Immaculee's father, John Goldade, said: "My wife didn't even sleep at all, not even one wink last night. I mean, I just can't describe it. I don't think there's anything worse that can happen to somebody than losing their daughter."

"It was a little more than just 'Oops, I accidentally hit somebody'. This was somebody who veered into them and literally into the very large ditch in which my daughter's body was lying in for a couple hours," Goldade said of the hit-and-run. He revealed that Immaculee and Kathleen had asked to walk through the neighborhood as they hadn't been able to do much of it throughout the pandemic. "The two were very close friends, and they were probably holding hands, is what I understand, during this, because they just really were close friends. There was a lot of youth and innocence in them," the grieving father said. 

"She just found joy in life and that was just her," Goldade said of his daughter. The family has found some comfort in the community support they've received since the tragic incident. "It was just unbelievable how many people came out to pray for us and just support us," Goldade said, before adding that he hopes the driver understands what they've done. "I want this person to know that a lot of people are actually praying for him as well. If he's going to do anything right in this at all, he can bring a little peace to us by turning himself in," he said. The Goldade family is asking anyone with information to call the Pierce County Sheriff's Office at (253) 798-3278. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the family pay for Immaculee's funeral.

References:

https://people.com/crime/washington-girl-killed-friend-hospitalized-hit-run-driver/

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/tacoma/person-of-interest-identified-in-fatal-hit-and-run-of-12-year-old-near-tacoma/281-10aaeb56-f0f5-4488-88cb-b9641d6aaca9

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/12-year-old-girl-killed-in-hit-and-run-crash-south-of-tacoma/281-f37ec856-40fd-4493-8d71-e7f9c802169d

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-goldade-family-with-funeral-funds

https://www.q13fox.com/news/she-just-found-joy-in-life-family-speaks-on-losing-12-year-old-daughter-in-hit-and-run

Cover Image Source: (L)GoFundMe, (R)Twitter/Pierce Co Sheriff