It’s a memory etched in the hearts of Lamia Cain and Chantel Stewart, the joy of their beloved daughter who was tragically taken from them earlier this week in Southeast D.C.
“My daughter was the happiest baby ever,” Cain shared through tearful eyes. “And honestly, we made sure that my daughter was happy. Like my daughter was a blessing to us.”
Zyinya, their little girl, cherished school, had a fondness for video games and enjoyed exploring the world of makeup. However, their lives took an unimaginable turn on a Tuesday afternoon.
“I got her up and got her dressed for school,” Cain began, struggling with emotions. “She came in the room,” Stewart continued, “and she looked cute, as she always does.”
In a heartbreaking incident, Zyinya was struck and killed in a BP gas station parking lot at Minnesota and Pennsylvania Avenues in Southeast Washington, just before 4 p.m. The innocent child, crossing the parking lot at the time, ran into the path of a car. Despite being rushed to the hospital, Zyinya succumbed to her injuries.
“Everything that I’ve built was for her. Everything,” Stewart expressed. “Like she was everything.”
“She was innocent; she was five,” Stewart painfully uttered. “How fast do you have to be going at a gas station parking lot?”
As investigators delve into the details, Zyinya’s parents highlight the congested nature of the roads during the afternoon rush hour around the gas station. They advocate for changes at the intersection, calling for the installation of a crossing guard or additional safety measures.
“It’s three different directions that you can go in, and again, people cut through so much to die down the traffic,” Stewart expressed. “And that needs to stop.”
In the midst of grief, they plead for caution and advocate for modifications at the intersection, hoping to prevent another family from enduring such a tragic loss.
