A quiet morning turned into a nightmare on October 25, 2022, when a car violently crashed into an apartment in the city’s Brooklyn Centre neighborhood, leaving several victims in critical condition. The accident, which occurred around 10:30 a.m. in the 2300 block of Forestdale Ave, sent shockwaves through the community, as it brought into question the safety measures in place for residents of the Brooklyner Bay Apartments.
Cleveland police reported that the driver, identified as 28-year-old Nia Nicole Moxley, was behind the wheel of a black Chevrolet Malibu. Moxley, who did not have a valid license, lost control of the vehicle, veering off the paved area and traveling across grass and a sidewalk before crashing through the exterior of apartment #101, which is partially below ground level. The car plowed into the front room of the unit, where three family members—Stephanice Washington and her two young sons—were gathered.
In the aftermath of the crash, Washington recalls the harrowing moments that unfolded. “The car came, like it’s coming straight at me,” she said, describing the horror as the impact hurled her into a closet. The vehicle crushed her sons beneath the car and heavy rubble. The mother, barely able to comprehend the chaos, pleaded with first responders to save her boys. “All I’m telling them is, ‘Take my kids, I don’t care about me, just get my kids out,’” Washington recounted.
Her sons sustained serious injuries, including broken bones, lacerations, and severe bruising. One of them suffered seizures as he lay trapped under the car, and both children continue to experience long-term effects from the accident, such as persistent nerve pain. Meanwhile, Washington herself has lost mobility and now relies on a scooter.
The crash also brought to light critical safety concerns surrounding the Brooklyner Bay Apartments. Washington and her attorney, Eric Henry, have filed a lawsuit against the building’s owner, Wolfe Pintus Brooklyn LLC. The lawsuit demands that the owner be held accountable and calls for the installation of protective barriers, or bollards, to safeguard residents, especially since the first-floor apartments are below street level.
“When you don’t feel safe in your home, you have no sanctuary,” Henry said, highlighting the psychological and physical toll the incident has had on Washington and her children. Despite these calls for change, Wolfe Pintus has denied any responsibility and has yet to implement the safety measures being urged.
Court records show that if no agreement is reached between the two sides, the case will proceed to trial next June. The hope, according to Henry, is that action will be taken to prevent future tragedies. “Unless change happens, unless certain safety features are put in and observed, this could very well happen again,” he warned.
For now, Washington and her family continue to grapple with the aftermath of that life-altering day. “They’re recovering, but they’re still suffering,” she said, expressing her wish that stronger safety measures had been in place to spare her family from this trauma.
Moxley, the driver, was sentenced to two months of community service, and the community continues to call for answers as negotiations between both parties proceed.