Betty Anderson called her landlord Sunday to clean up the scraps of concrete that were, until this weekend, her front stoop.
Watching the effort from across the street was a young man, struggling to pick up the pieces of a broken heart after losing his 3-year-old nephew when a van careened into the stoop Saturday.
Head in hands, he mustered the strength to utter three words.
“We?re just grieving,” he said.
Baltimore City police Sunday said the woman driving the van ? who was beaten by enraged onlookers after she jumped the curb at West Fayette Street and Schroeder Avenue, striking two boys, killing one ? was not to blame. The van, they said, was forced on the sidewalk after a small red car attempting to make a left turn from the right lane clipped it.
The incident happened before 8 p.m. Saturday as neighbors gathered on their front steps to enjoy the warm evening.
After the accident, the red car fled the scene as two passengers in the van ran down the street to flag a University of Maryland Medical Center police officer for help, said city police spokesman Sterling Clifford.
Meanwhile, witnesses assaulted the van?s driver.
“It was crazy out here,” said neighbor Rochelle Cooper. “Everyone was very upset.”
The woman, whose name was not released, was taken to an area hospital as police apprehended the driver and a passenger in the red vehicle at Caton Avenue and Interstate 95, Clifford said. Prosecutors will determine charges.
Police did not release the names of the victims, who also included a 4-year-old boy who suffered minor injuries. Neighbors on Sunday said speed and drag racing are persistent problems on the street.
“It makes you not want to sit outside on your front step,” said Gia Miller.
