DETROIT – After more than 120 days in the hospital and weeks in a coma, 5-year-old Santana Martin is back home in Detroit, surrounded by family.
It has already been a long recovery from devastating injuries suffered when she was struck by a vehicle during a family reunion, and her family says they don’t know what each day will bring.
Martin suffered a broken jaw, broken limbs, a traumatic brain injury, and other serious injuries after being hit by a car on Aug. 10, 2025, on Canyon between East Warren Avenue and Chandler Park Drive.
She was four years old at the time of the crash.
“This is beyond our wildest belief because she’s so small,” Brandi Shaw, her grandmother, said days after the crash. “To see her lying in the street, pretty much lifeless. I just can’t get that out of my head.”
Months later, Martin’s mother described witnessing the aftermath as unbearable.
“You still hit my baby. You still changed her whole life,” said Ayana Sneed. “It was the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Seeing your baby like that.”
Martin spent months hospitalized and was in a coma for weeks, family members said.
Though she is now off a ventilator and, according to her family, able to hear, smile, and interact, she still requires round-the-clock care.
“My strength comes from her,” Sneed said. “She’s so strong. I can get through anything because she can.”
“It could be months, years. I’m here for it,” Sneed said. “So, I get up, and I smile for her. This is my little girl. I’m never gonna give up on her.”
Detroit police told Local 4 a warrant had been sent to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, but it was denied.
“This is one of the worst car accident cases that I have heard about with a four-year-old,” said Attorney Mike Morse, who is now representing the family. “The family was right there. It was just a horrific accident. It’s remarkable she’s still alive.”
Morse said his firm’s investigation indicates the driver was traveling too fast in a neighborhood where children are frequently present.
“Our initial investigation shows that he was speeding, as well as lots of other people speeding,” Morse said. “The family is distraught. We have taken on this case to get them all the answers they’re entitled to.”
Morse said his team is asking the public for help to further establish the vehicle’s speed at the time of the crash, around 4:30 p.m. that day.
“We have a little bit of camera footage from somebody’s doorbell Ring camera. We’re asking the public to please check your cameras. Somebody could’ve caught him,” Morse said. “We can then do an analysis to see how fast they were going.”
Martin remains surrounded by her siblings, grandmother, and mother, along with other family members, who say they are committed to supporting her recovery no matter how long it takes.
The family still needs items for Santana’s ongoing care.