3 Young Children Airlifted To Hospital Following Day Care Crash

LAKELAND, FL — Three young Florida children were airlifted to Tampa General Hospital Tuesday after a 79-year-old woman allegedly crashed an SUV into a home that was being used as a licensed day care facility.

"One child’s condition was changed to critical after evaluation at the hospital," according to Robin Tillet of the Lakeland Police Department. "The other two children transported suffered minor injuries."

The driver of the Dodge Durango was identified by Lakeland police as Mildred Green, the mother-in-law of the person who owns the home in the 1500 block of West 7th Street where the crash took place

Police said the crash occurred at 4:55 p.m. as Green was attempting to back out of a side yard. She is from Trenton, Florida.

"While backing up, the Dodge stopped in an attempt to avoid hitting a bush and then began to move forward," police explained. "While moving forward, the SUV suddenly accelerated and crashed into the front of the residence, coming to final rest in the interior of the home."

Police said there were four children playing in a room inside the home when the Durango came barreling through the wall. Three of the four children where injured.

Green was taken to Lakeland Regional Health with minor injuries. Seventy-four-year-old Isiah Hayes of Chiefland, Florida was identified as a passenger inside the Durango, but was not injured. according to police.

Police said two of the airlifted children were 2-year-old boys while the third was a 9-month-old girl.

A fourth child, a two-year-old girl in the day care facility, was not injured. Police said traffic was shut down for about four-and-a-half hours Tuesday as a result of the crash.

All of the children in the day care facility were from Lakeland. The crash remains under investigation.