Hartford woman calls for action after her car was stolen and involved in deadly crash

Frustrations are building for a Hartford woman whose car was stolen.

Police say three young people had been in the car when it later crashed and killed one of the children.

Now, the car’s owner and others are calling for more accountability to help prevent this from happening again.

“I was shaking and nervous and I called 911,” Zina Brathwaite, of Hartford, said.

Brathwaite couldn’t believe there was an empty parking spot where she had parked her car outside her home in Hartford.

She had only owned the Kia Sportage for a month.

“That was a big accomplishment for me because I'm a kidney recipient and the best thing that happened to me was getting a new gift and then the second accomplishment, getting me a new car. I felt like I was on my way back to normal,” Brathwaite said.

Then another stunning twist. Brathwaite said her Kia was the stolen car that crashed in Wethersfield with three kids inside, killing one in January.

While she’s sorry a life was lost, the entire ordeal has left her devastated.

“I couldn't go to work. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat. I didn't have transportation to go to work,” Brathwaite said.

“She has lost everything. Her life is at a standstill and she has no money,” said Jendayi Scott-Miller, the CEO of Angel of Edgewood.

On Tuesday, community advocates are expected to demand changes right before the legislative session starts.

Scott-Miller and Brathwaite are calling for action when it comes to kids and crime, including law reforms and better oversight from parents.

“This is a statewide issue. This is happening in the city. This is happening in the suburbs. And people are tired,” Scott-Miller said.

“They need to have some kind of accountability because they need to know that they can't get away with it,” Brathwaite said.

We reached out to Hartford and Wethersfield police for an update about the case and to see if any charges have been filed. At this point, we have not yet heard back.