13-year-old critically injured in Cape Coral crash; neighbors say intersection has history of accidents

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK) — A 13-year-old girl is fighting for her life after a crash at a busy Cape Coral intersection Friday night.

Cape Coral Police say officers are investigating a traffic crash at the intersection of Santa Barbara Boulevard and Veterans Parkway. All lanes were affected for several hours as crews responded and cleared the scene.

The girl’s mother identifies her as Stella Piscopo. In messages to WINK News, she says Stella is in critical condition and unconscious after suffering serious injuries.

According to her mother, Stella has a broken leg and hip, a bruised lung, and a small brain bleed. She also underwent surgery and is now being closely monitored.

“The next 24 hours will tell us which direction her brain injury goes,” her mother said.

Stella was initially taken to a local hospital as a trauma alert before being flown to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg for further treatment.

Her mother describes Stella as strong and says she loves her family and friends dearly.

As police continue to investigate what led up to the crash, some neighbors say this intersection has been a concern for years.

Jacqueline Chack, who lives nearby, says her son was hit while riding his bike at the same intersection last year.

“It actually was about a year ago, my son was in the crosswalk and a driver ran over him,” Chack said.

Her son, who was also 14 at the time, suffered a broken leg.

“He had his leg broken in two spots,” she said.

While he has since recovered, Chack says the experience has had a lasting impact on her family.

“My heart breaks, and it sinks every time he leaves the home,” she said.

She believes crashes like this are happening too often and says changes are needed to improve safety.

“Something has to be done, there is a need for change,” Shack said.

Cape Coral Police have not released additional details about what caused Friday night’s crash or whether any charges will be filed.

Stella’s mother tells WINK News her daughter is set to turn 14 on Sunday.

WINK News will continue to follow this story and provide updates as more information becomes available.