The single-car crash happened around 11 a.m. on West Third Street near Brooklyn Avenue.
Relatives who showed up at the crash scene said there were several family members in the car.
“I just seen the car zig-zagging down the street and just hit the tree and blew up! Split in half,” witness Shameka Littlejohn said after she called 911.
Right away, she knew it was bad.
RELATED: 4 killed, 3 critically injured after single-car crash in Dayton
“Oh my god. It’s on fire. The car is on fire.”
But it was even worse, after she realized how many people were inside.
“Somebody just took a baby out of the car. There’s two kids. They’ve taken two kids. They’ve got three kids out of the car.”
The car’s frame left behind is now barely recognizable. A metal bench was toppled, a tree damaged and a fire hydrant knocked over.
Dayton police say the driver, a child in the car and another passenger died on scene. A child taken to the hospital later died as well.
Leslie Boyd and Willie McDowell rushed to Dayton from Indiana after hearing about the crash they said involved several of their relatives.
“It’s Christmas, we were planning to come down here Friday to celebrate, you know. Now we’re coming here for tragedy,” McDowell said.
Officers and other first responders were visibly shaken by what they saw, some even taking a moment at times to gather themselves. A longtime police officer said this was the worst crash he’s ever responded to.
“A lot of people eventually pulled over and started comforting the kids, get them out of the car, get them away from the flames,” Littlejohn said.
“I was very shaken up. I was very scared. I was trying to get them help as soon as possible,” she said.
The victims’ relatives are now at a loss for words.
“The whole family is gone, man,” McDowell said.
And Littlejohn has been left trying to explain to her children what they all witnessed.
She said she spent all day thinking about the children inside that car.
“Those little kids probably opened up gifts this morning … you know, that’s sad,” she said of the tragedy, while she said she is relieved her family is safe.
Police said it’s too early to say what led to the crash.
The names of those killed in the crash have not been released, nor have the names of the four who were critically injured in the crash.
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