7-Year-Old Black Girl, Junior Drag Racer Dies After Crashing in Florida

Nationwide — Elienisse Diaz Rodriguez, a 7-year-old African American girl from Orlando, Florida, died after crashing during a junior drag race tournament at Orlando Speed World Dragway. She was critically injured and died from her injuries two days later.

Elienisse, a first-grader at Eastland Christian School, was racing during the “Funday Sunday” event when she lost control of her dragster. Her vehicle hit a track worker before crashing into a concrete wall, according to WLBT. The worker was unharmed.

Her mother shared a heartfelt post on social media, saying, “My sweet angel! Mommy will always love you forever.”

The race was a private event sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association. Track officials released a statement expressing their sorrow, saying, “We are deeply heartbroken by the tragic incident that took place Sunday. Our thoughts and prayers are with Elienisse’s family. Motorsports is built on passion, but moments like these remind us of the risks that come with what we love.”

Elieniss was remembered by her school, which offered counseling to students and staff. The school also asked for prayers and support for the grieving family.

Despite the tragedy, Orlando Speed World continued its scheduled racing events for the weekend.

Meanwhile, her family has launched a GoFundMe page to receive donations for her funeral expenses. So far, more than $30,000 has been raised.