More than two years after 6-year-old Harlow Tran was killed in a violent Coral Springs crash, her parents are taking their grief and unanswered questions to court. Their lawsuit argues that a police officer’s decision before the collision helped set in motion a chain of events that ended with their daughter’s death.
Danny Tran and Samari Curbelo are suing the City of Coral Springs, claiming the officer’s actions improperly escalated a traffic stop involving a driver accused of having excessively dark window tint, according to NBC 6 South Florida. The city denies that its officer initiated a pursuit and is contesting the family’s allegations.
The underlying crash happened on May 5, 2024, near West Sample Road and Northwest 85th Avenue. According to Local 10, Coral Springs police said Chevon Dalton Graham accelerated away from an officer attempting to stop his Mercedes-Benz for extremely dark tint before striking the Chevrolet Traverse carrying Harlow.
Prosecutors later said Graham was traveling at speeds reaching roughly 107 mph as he approached the intersection, where the impact split the family SUV in half, the Miami Herald reported. Harlow was ejected from the vehicle and airlifted to a Fort Lauderdale hospital, where she died that day.
What Harlow Tran’s Parents Say Happened
The lawsuit centers on Officer John Daddino’s conduct before Graham fled. The family argues that pursuing or attempting to pursue a driver over a nonviolent equipment violation created an unreasonable danger to everyone on Sample Road, including Harlow, according to NBC 6 South Florida’s report.
Coral Springs has rejected that account, saying Daddino shut off his emergency lights and siren and was not chasing Graham, the Miami Herald reported. In its court response, the city also argued that even if a pursuit had begun, its employees did not act recklessly, and it raised questions about whether Harlow was properly secured in her seat belt or harness.
The city, rather than Daddino personally, is the defendant in the wrongful-death case. The family is seeking damages tied to medical and funeral expenses, loss of companionship, and the parents’ mental pain and suffering, according to the Miami Herald.
Criminal Charges Remain Separate
The civil lawsuit is separate from the criminal case against Graham. Police arrested him on charges including vehicular homicide, aggravated fleeing and eluding causing death, reckless driving and driving with a suspended license, according to Local 10.
The crash also prompted the release of body-camera footage showing the chaotic aftermath and the emergency response, WSVN reported in 2024. The Miami Herald later reported that Coral Springs police reviewed the incident but took no disciplinary action against Daddino, who declined to comment through the department.
