ARLINGTON, Texas — A 10-year-old girl was struck by two vehicles while attempting to cross a busy intersection in Arlington shortly after school dismissal on Thursday afternoon, officials say.
Officers responded to the intersection of Sublett Road and Park Springs Boulevard near Mary Moore Elementary School just before 4 p.m. Thursday, and took the child to a local hospital in critical condition for treatment of her injuries, police said.
The girl, since identified by the Arlington Independent School District as fifth-grade Mary Moore Elementary School student Liyah-Grace Holsey, was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Police said investigators believed Holsey was attempting to cross from the north side of Sublett Road to the south side when she was struck by two vehicles that were traveling east along the road. According to police, both drivers had a green light. After the girl was struck, the drivers stopped and remained at the scene and have since cooperated with the investigation.
"Out of respect for her family, there's a lot of information regarding the investigation that we wont release concerning speed," Arlington PD Sgt. Courtney White said.
No criminal charges have been filed in relation to the incident, police said.
"This is a tragic situation," said White. "The Arlington police department wants Liyah-Grace's family to know that our heart goes out to her family and friends."
According to data from Arlington police, Liyah-Grace's death was the only pedestrian fatality at the intersection of Sublett Road and Park Springs Boulevard this year. There have been three vehicle accidents at the intersection where Liyah-Grace was hit since April 2023, police said.
When students were released on Friday, a couple of students shed tears as they told WFAA about the kind of person Liyah-Grace was.
Palmer Brandenburgh, a fifth grader in the same classroom as Liyah-Grace, was among them.
"She was really really kind. She had a voice of an angel. This past Monday, she sang for someone for her birthday, and I was just amazed at how good she could sing," Brandenburgh said. "She was really kind, amazing, funny. She made me laugh. Caring, and she would always be there by my side when other people were not."
Brandenburgh's mother, Kelly Womble described Liyah-Grace as a kind classmate who made the school a better place.
"We're all sad," Womble said. "There’s no words to describe it. She was a sweet girl."
Arlington ISD officials said additional school counselors will be present at Mary Moore Elementary School on Friday to "comfort students and staff as they learn about this tragic loss."
"Words are not adequate to describe the grief everyone in the Arlington ISD feels today, especially our students, staff and families at Mary Moore Elementary School," the district said in a statement released Friday morning.
"Liyah-Grace was a wonderful student who loved to sing so much that she joined the choir and never missed a practice," the statement continued. "She will be deeply missed and never forgotten."
Wendy Baker, the principal at Mary Moore Elementary School told WFAA her focus is on bringing her school community together to begin the healing process.
"This is something that we will grieve for a long time," Baker said. "Liyah-Grace was a beautiful spirit on our campus."
Liyah-Grace was set to perform at her choir concert on Friday.