Florida man, 26, 'kills three-year-old girl and critically injures her mother and brother after plowing into the family with his car' while reaching for a cigarette
- William Cameron Perkins, 26, drove into Lacey Thomas, 35, and her children Ava, three, and Spencer, one
- Ava died on Saturday, the day after the accident, from her injuries in Tampa, Florida
- Perkins was driving on a suspended license and was reaching for a cigarette when he hit the family
- He has been charged with driving with a suspended license resulting in a serious injury, but those charges could be upgraded now that Ava has died
- Lacey's six-year-old daughter Tana witnessed the accident but was unharmed
William Cameron Perkins, 26, (pictured) who was driving with a suspended license, plowed his car into a mother and two of her three children. Ava Thomas, three, died from her injures on Saturday
A Florida man is behind bars after driving into three children and their mother, killing the family's youngest daughter.
Lacey Thomas, 35, and her children Ava, three, Spencer, one, and Tana, six, were walking in Tampa, Florida, when all but Tana were struck by a car.
William Cameron Perkins, 26, the driver of the car - who had a suspended license - was reaching for a cigarette when he swerved off the road and into the family on Friday.
Ava died at 7am at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, Florida, on Saturday, WFLA reported.
Lacey was listed in stable condition on Saturday at St Joseph's and one-year-old Spencer is in 'very critical' condition.
Perkins, who works as an electrician, was arrested and charged with driving with a suspended license resulting in a serious injury.
The charges could be upgraded now that Ava has died, Florida Highway Patrol Sergeant Steve Gaskins told the Tampa Bay Times.
'We're still hoping the other child will pull through,' Gaskins told the paper.
Perkins was driving when he dropped his cigarette and reached for it, becoming distracted from the road.
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Tana Thomas, six, (left) witness her mother Lacey Thomas (center, right), sister Ava, three, (center, left) and brother Spencer, one, (right) get hit by Perkins' car as he reached for a cigarette
One-year-old Spencer is listed in 'very critical' condition at St Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, Florida, where his sister Ava (pictured, right) died on Saturday
As he swerved into the family, six-year-old Tana witnessed her siblings and mother being struck by Perkins' 2002 Jaguar.
Perkins' wife Jackie told ABC Action News she and her husband are devastated and that Perkins was test driving the car when he hit the Thomas family members.
For somebody just to drop a cigarette and worry about a cigarette more than worrying about what's on the road or by the road….it's devastating, neighbor Mark Schmidt told ABC Action News.
William Cameron Perkins'(left) wife Jackie Perkins (right) said she and her husband are devastated by the accident
Officers do not believe alcohol was a factor in the crash, which is still being investigated.
A GoFundMe page was set up for the family, which has raised more than $4,000.
'My deepest condolences to Rick and his family. I hope Lacey and their son recover. The loss of Ava is just heartbreaking,' Sherry Tew wrote on the page.
Donor Kip Goulder wrote: 'May the Ava's memory be a blessing, and may Lacey and Spencer make a full and speedy recovery. Prayers are with you.'
Perkins' smashed into the family in this 2002 Jaguar. The window was shattered by the impact of hitting the family
Shattered: Jackie Perkins told ABC Action News her husband was test driving the car when the accident happened
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family and has raised more than $4,000 to help father Rick (top left) and Lacey (top, right) cope with the death of Ava (bottom, right) and Spencer's (baby) medical bills
- Driver reaching for cigarette hits Hernando County family, killing 3-year-old | Tampa Bay Times
- Mother, 2 children struck by distracted driver in Brooksville - Story | abcactionnews.com | Tampa Bay News, Weather, Sports, Things To Do | WFTS-TV
- FHP: Driver drops cigarette, hits Hernando mom, 2 kids walking on side of road | WFLA.com
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