Day care van driver, owner charged after wreck in NW Harris Co.

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A daycare van driver and the owner of the day care face charges after a crash sent 16 kids to the hospital on Monday.

The wreck happened at around 4pm Monday on the North Beltway near West Gulf Bank as the Apple Kids Center day care passenger van was returning from a field trip.

Investigators say the van's driver ran a red light and the van was T-boned by a pickup.

The Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department says 16 juveniles and two adults in the van were transported to be checked out at Cy-Fair Hospital as a precautionary measure. We're told they suffered cuts and scratches.

The children, between the ages of 6 and 12 years of age, were all released with no serious injuries.

Authorities say the day care van driver was cited for running the red light and was also charged with a state jail felony. Investigators say there were too many children aboard the bus and not enough child restraints.

"It's a terrifying feeling, mainly worrying about people being OK. As far as wreck drivers, our major thing is to block the roads so nobody gets hurt any more than already is and we make sure that people are OK," tow truck driver Jimmy Chano said. "My biggest concern is, I'm not worried about the vehicle, I'm worried about the people."

The driver of the pickup truck was not seriously injured and wasn't transported to a hospital.

The van driver, Conception Coronado, and the day care owner, Darryl Freeman, are both charged with injury to a child - criminal negligence.

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