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‘This was a miracle’: Police ID driver of car who struck father, daughter in harrowing crash

Police have identified the D.C. man who officers say crashed a car into a father and daughter, leaving both with serious injuries Saturday. Thaniyyah Veney, 32, of Southeast D.C., was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, reckless driving, leaving after colliding, assault with a dangerous weapon and aggravated assault, police said in a news release Monday. Around 1 p.m. on Saturday, D.C. police were called to the 3200 block of 4th Street Southeast, where they said Veney lost control of a Ford 500, ran a stop sign at the intersection of 4th and Savannah Streets, jumped a curb and crashed into a house. D.C. police say Veney struck a parked and occupied vehicle, then struck the man and his 5-year-old daughter before striking the house. The suspect was located in a nearby alley by responding officers, D.C. police told WTOP. Emergency personnel found a man at the scene after being struck by the car and a 5-year-old girl trapped under the vehicle, according to preliminary reports. The girl was conscious and breathing when she was evacuated by helicopter to a local hospital with serious injuries.

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Her father faced critical injuries and was taken to the hospital on the ground by an ambulance. Ward 8 Council member Trayon White, who was at Children’s National Hospital Saturday, said “Baby Raci” was alive and in stable condition after being struck. “She suffered a broken shoulder, hip, and a fractured skull. She is out of surgery and will be monitored closely,” White wrote in a post on Instagram. “This was a miracle. Mom and Dad want to thank everyone.”

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The two were walking to Oxon Run Pool near Hart Middle School when the car struck them. White said officials apprehended the driver as they tried to flee the scene on foot a block and a half away. WTOP’s Ivy Lyons and Ciara Wells contributed to this report.

Kennedy Center renews call for Trump-backed shutdown after part of a ceiling collapses

WASHINGTON (AP) — A chunk of ceiling fell inside a main hallway of the Kennedy Center, according to a spokesperson who said the damage underscores the need to shut down the historic arts venue for renovations sought by President Donald Trump. No one was injured when a piece of the ceiling inside the Kennedy Center's grand foyer collapsed Friday evening, said Roma Daravi, the center's vice president for public relations. Photos provided by the center showed a large hole in the high ceiling and debris littering the red carpet in part of the hallway that connects the Kennedy Center's three main performance auditoriums. The damage occurred during stormy weather in Washington. The Kennedy Center's Trump-aligned board is fighting in court to move forward with plans to add Trump's name to the building's facade and to close the center for two years as it undergoes $250 million in renovations.
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