UPDATE @ 10:15 p.m. (4/1): Two brothers, both injured in the March 13 crash involving multiple vehicles and an RTA bus, are in serious condition at Dayton Children's Hospital, according to a spokeswoman.
Emmanual Caldwell, 6, and Eric Caldwell, 7 were initially in critical condition following the crash that occurred at North Main Street and Julia Avenue in Harrison Twp., but have since improved.
A Easter Sunday prayer vigil was held this afternoon for the brothers at the crash site where community members reportedly raised $2,000 and presented it to the family of the boys.
UPDATE @ 8:45 a.m.:
The two children injured in a car crash involving an RTA and four other vehicles Tuesday remain in critical condition Saturday, according to a Dayton Children’s Hospital representative.
Emmanuel Caldwell, 6, and Eric Caldwell, 7, of Harrison Twp. were in the backseat of the bronze 1998 Cadillac Deville that struck an RTA bus causing a chain reaction into a parking lot of an Auto Zone on North Main Street, according to a crash report.
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The driver of the Cadillac, David L. Gregory, 39, of Harrison Twp. was taken to Grandview Medical Center where his condition is not known.
He is suspected to have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol, the crash report stated.
Eric E. Caldwell, 32, of Harrison Twp. was taken to Miami Valley Hospital. His condition has yet to be released.
No one in the vehicle was wearing a seat belt, the crash report stated.
INITIAL REPORT:
Two children injured after a crash Tuesday afternoon involving four vehicles and an RTA bus have been on ventilators since the crash, and family said the next few days are critical to their survival.
The siblings, Emmanuel, 6, and Eric, 7, are best friends, according to family. The family said they've been told by doctors that Emmanuel, especially, may not survive.
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Both children are being watched for fevers and additional swelling on the brain after they sustained "horrific" injuries.
“It breaks my heart, you know,” said Ryan Morgan, a police officer and the boys' uncle. "They're my nephews. I was there when both of them were born. I deal with this type of stuff all the time, but when it's your own family, it hits you especially hard."
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Deputies said they believe the driver of the vehicle the boys were in was intoxicated at the time of the crash. Preliminary indicatations are that the two men in the Cadillac with the children are their father and uncle.
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Both men remain hospitalized. Neither they nor the children were wearing safety belts, according to a traffic crash report.
The Cadillac struck an RTA bus, setting off a chain reaction crash that ended in the parking lot of an Auto Zone on North Main Street.