ORLANDO, Fla. – A 7-year-old girl died following a track incident at Orlando Speed World on Sunday, according to authorities and her family.
According to a verified GoFundMe page, Elienisse Diaz Rodriguez had a track accident in her junior dragster at Orlando Speed World Dragway. Following a two-day battle, doctors confirmed that she was brain-dead.
Recommended Videos
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that it requested help from the Florida Highway Patrol in responding to the incident Sunday, describing it as happening around 11 a.m.
The girl lost control of her junior dragster while riding on the track and hit a safety guide employee before going on to strike a concrete wall, the statement reads. The employee, described as a 34-year-old Orlando man, was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries while the girl was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on Tuesday, the sheriff’s office said.
On Wednesday, Orlando Speed World Dragway posted a statement on Facebook saying, in part, “We are deeply heartbroken by the tragic incident that took place at OSW on Sunday. Our thoughts and prayers are with Elienisse’s family, and all those affected, including our racing community.”
According to USAR Task Force 4, there was a reported auto accident with entrapment at Orlando Speed World on E. Colonial Drive before a patient was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital.
As of Thursday morning, more than $20,000 had been raised for the GoFundMe, which has an established goal of $30,000.
Elienisse was a first-grade student who attended Eastland Christian School off Lake Underhill Road in Orlando.
The school on Thursday released a statement on its Facebook account.
You can listen to every episode of Florida’s Fourth Estate in the media player below: