A 5-year-old girl miraculously survived a horrific car crash that killed both of her parents — but was only found after spending more than a day in the wreckage with their dead bodies, according to police.
Kayce Griffin spent more than 30 hours with her dead parents — dad Devante Griffin, 25, and mom Klariza Tarango, 24 — after their pickup drove off the shoulder of a Colorado highway and rolled over onto its roof out of sight from the roadway, according to Colorado State Police.
Troopers found the wreckage off Highway 160 near Bayfield around 12:30 p.m. May 2 — but believe the car actually crashed off the highway around 6 a.m. the previous day.
The parents — who also have another child who was not with them at the time — were pronounced dead at the scene. Neither of them was wearing a seatbelt.
Their 5-year-old daughter was also unrestrained in a carseat inside the blue Chevrolet S10 — and began walking up a hill towards first responders when they arrived,
Kayce was transported to Mercy Hospital in Durango for treatment of minor injuries and has since been released into her grandfather’s care, the TriCity News reported.
“You’d be surprised how resilient children are,” Colorado State Patrol spokesperson Hunter Matthews told CPR News. “She remained in the vehicle. We assumed that she was comfortable being around her parents.”
The Colorado State Patrol does not believe the dad, who was driving, was impaired or speeding when he crashed. It is still under investigation but is not considered a crime.
Griffin and Tarango, from Farmington, New Mexico, also leave behind another daughter, according to a GoFundMe for the family.
Upper Pine River Fire Protection, which responded to the scene, called Kayce’s survival “a tragedy and a miracle” and urged parents to learn correct installation of carseats for their children.
“It weighs heavily not only on our crews but for the family and the public who have suffered a loss, expressed their condolences and offered their prayers,” the agency said.
