Fund Set Up For Infant Daughter Of Pasco County Firefighter

LUTZ, FL — With the tragic news of the death of the 5-month-old baby of one of its firefighters, Pasco County Fire Rescue has set up a donation site to help the family.

"It is with an incredibly heavy heart that we report that baby Clara has passed away from her injuries sustained from a horrific traffic crash on Van Dyke Road in northern Hillsborough County on Friday," said Fire Chief Scott Cassin. "She was surrounded by her loving family and will be forever in the hearts of the thousands who have come to know her over the past few days."

On Friday around 2 p.m., Pasco County Fire Rescue firefighter Hunter Garcia, his wife, Kayla, and their 5-month-old daughter were traveling on Van Dyke Road when their SUV was involved in a multi-vehicle crash.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said a vehicle traveling on Brown Street in Northdale ran through a stop sign and T-boned a vehicle traveling east on Van Dyke Road. The impact caused a chain reaction involving four vehicles and eight people.

Five people were taken to the hospital. The most seriously injured was the baby, who was in critical condition. She died on Sunday.

Dierdorff said Hunter Garcia was discharged from the hospital Monday, but remains by his wife's side at St. Joseph's Hospital. Garcia suffered serious injuries to his face, including an orbital socket fracture. Kayla Garcia's back and pelvis were fractured in the accident.

"We ask the public to please keep Hunter, Kayla and their families in your thoughts and prayers as they navigate this incredibly difficult time," said Pasco Fire Rescue spokesman Dierdorff. “We truly are a family. These men and women spend a third of their lives together, and they would lay their lives down in an instant for any one of our families, so when something happens, it hits home.”

Those wishing to help the family can make a donation to a Paypal account set up on their behalf by Firefighters Charities of Pasco.

Information on funeral arrangements is not yet available.

Garcia, a graduate of Steinbrenner High School, had been a firefighter in Pasco County for two years.

Related stories:

• Infant Daughter Of Firefighter Dies Following Crash
• Infant In Critical Condition Following 4-Car Pileup In Northdale