Worker: Driver who plowed through daycare yard stole stopped feet away from boy, 4

CHARLOTTE — No one was hurt Thursday when a car lost control and flipped over on a playground of a daycare in east Charlotte, daycare workers said.

The crash happened in the late afternoon at Butterfly Garden Daycare on Ware Road off Idlewild Road.

“[The car] had come up over the curve and gone into the playground,” said Lindsey Ryder, who was out in the playground with five children when the crash happened.

“Me and one 4-year-old who we have were standing right over here as the car comes flying over the curve and lands on those trees,” she said as she walked Channel 9 through the scenario.

Ryder said the car hit two other vehicles on Idlewild Road before it tore through the playground’s fence, flipping and rolling to its resting place as it damaged several playground toys. She said four of the kids who were outside were thankfully closer to the building telling another child goodbye. Meanwhile, Ryder and another little boy were feet away from the car when it landed next to the trees.

But just seconds before the crash, Ryder said all of the kids were playing in the mulch where the car landed. She didn’t want to think of the worse outcome that could have been a reality if the car crashed just seconds before.

“We would probably not be open today and there would at least be one parent without a child or in the hospital right now,” she explained.

“God had his hand in all of it,” she added. “That the kids were where they were.”

Ryder told Channel 9 that she saw a teenager kick out one of the car’s windows before he allegedly jumped out of the car and ran off.

She said police ended up arresting the teen, who was bloody from the crash, she explained. Officers told her the driver of the car had likely used a TikTok challenge to steal the car before wrecking it, she said.

Channel 9 reached out to ask police about the circumstances that led to the crash, but we haven’t heard back as of writing this news article.

“Honestly, I think that parents need to take their kids off TikTok,” Ryder said.

Hours after the crash, Ryder made a TikTok herself as she noted the crash and pleaded with parents to make sure their kids and teens are staying out of trouble.

“Please don’t let some parents go home without their child because you want a couple thousand likes on TikTok,” Ryder said on her TikTok video, showing pictures of the crash.

There have been several crimes across the Charlotte area tied to the social media challenge, where Kias and Hyundais have been stolen.

The crimes stem from a TikTok video that shows people how to bypass the ignition and steering column, allowing them to gain access to the car.

Back at Butterfly Garden, pieces of debris could still be seen piled up outside the playground and the fence was still down.

Ryder said the owner plans to replace the fence and in the meantime all of the children will play in a playground area closer to the building.

No further information has been released.

VIDEO: North Carolina residents will have to pay state taxes on federal student loan forgiveness, DOR says

North Carolina residents will have to pay state taxes on federal student loan forgiveness, DOR says

©2022 Cox Media Group