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Orange County daycare hit by SUV was not required to have protective vehicle barriers, county says

By
FOX 35 Orlando
Orange County News
Published October 16, 2026 5:32 PM EDT
Published October 16, 2026 5:32 PM EDT
article

The Brief

    • Five people, including three children, were hurt Thursday afternoon after a driver crashed his vehicle into a classroom at Tattle Tales Learning Center. All are expected to survive.
    • Due to the extent of the damage, officials deemed the building unsafe and pulled its occupancy permit, essentially shutting down the daycare business until those repairs are made.
    • Why no vehicle barriers? The building has been permitted as a daycare since 2009, before Orange County passed an ordinance in 2016, requiring vehicle barriers at new daycare facilities. 

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Orange County has deemed the building of a daycare in Pine Hills unsafe – and pulled its occupancy permit – after an older driver crashed his vehicle into one of the daycare's classrooms, injuring himself, three children, and an instructor, according to officials. Fortunately, everyone who was hurt is expected to survive.

What we know:

A spokesperson for Orange County Division of Building Safety said the daycare would not be able to reopen until it has a licensed engineer or inspector evaluate the damage, makes the needed repairs, and then receives approval from Orange County's building department to reopen via its occupancy permit.

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A county building inspector said the crash caused significant damage to the outside and inside the building, specifically mentioning the building's wall assembly, support masonry, and electrical systems, requiring the electricity to the building to be shut off. 

What they're saying:

"The safety of children and the public is a priority for Orange County," Orange County Division of Building Safety said in a statement. 

Daycare was not required to have vehicle barriers

Dig deeper:

According to Orange County, the building was first permitted to be used as a daycare in 2009, several years before Orange County passed an ordinance in 2016 requiring daycare facilities to have vehicle impact protection, such as barriers. Because of that, they were essentially grandfathered in and not required to have them.

Several new use permits – all for childcare facilities – have been issued since 2009. However, those are typically issued when someone else takes over the business or opens another daycare business in the building. 

"A new USE permit issued because of a change in business operator also does not, in itself, trigger the requirements if the previously approved use remains unchanged and no qualifying modifications are made to the facility," the County said.

A county spokesperson said the building department would review any plans to repair the building to ensure it meets current building codes and requirements, including whether vehicle barriers will need to be included and installed as part of the repairs.

What we don't know:

It's not known if the business owners plan to repair the building or reopen in that space, nor how long that process could take. No charges have been issued as a result of the crash and it's unclear if any would be.

What they're saying:

A FOX 35 reporter reached out to the owners of Tattle Tales Learning Center on Thursday to see if anyone wanted to comment or talk about the crash or the impact on the business. They declined.

The Source: This story uses information gathered from Orange County Government, Florida Highway Patrol, Orange County Fire Rescue, and FOX 35 reporters and crews.

Orange County News