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The autistic preschooler wandered away from home and into the path of an SUV.

July 2, 2002

By SUSAN GILL VARDON and CATRINE JOHANSSON
The Orange County Register

LAGUNA NIGUEL -- Donny and Judy Richard are haunted today by a wrenching question: Was their 5-year-old daughter, Mya Donnae, afraid in the instant before she was struck and killed by a sport utility vehicle on busy Crown Valley Parkway?

Mya was like other autistic children, who often wander away, attracted by dangers they do not recognize.

She scampered in her diaper through an unlocked doggy door, opened a wooden gate, made her way down a 100-foot slope and across three lanes of traffic Friday night.

"We think she was enthralled," said friend Kris Farrell. "She loved lights, loved running down hills. I don't think that little girl knew what hit her."

Monday, the Richard house was filled with friends and relatives providing emotional support and arranging Mya's memorial, set for 6 p.m. Wednesday at Capo Beach Calvary Chapel in Dana Point.

Signs of Mya remained. Her red Winnie the Pooh backpack and rain slicker hung by the front door, and her blue trampoline sat among the stuffed animals in her playroom.

Mya was a determined girl who constantly rewound her Barney the dinosaur videos for re-viewing. She loved grabbing the backs of people's elbows, where the skin is soft.

"I guess she liked the way the skin felt," said her grandfather, Dennis Richard, speaking for his distraught son, Donny, and daughter-in-law, Judy. "She was like a little butterfly, floating around in her own little world."

Like other autistic children, Mya did not respond to warnings. Autistic children may not react to hearing their name called, shouts to stop or even the tone of voice that communicates to other children that they are in trouble, said Barbara Parker, principal of Mya's preschool class for autistic children at Foxborough Elementary School.

Mya was showing signs of emerging from the isolation of autism, her grandfather said. She was more social, walking up to strangers to say hello and grabbing people's fingers to get their attention.

She also was more interested in exploring her surroundings -- a change that may have contributed to her death, he said.

"Her disability has protected her from life," said Dennis Richard, 61, of Las Vegas, a retired firefighter.

"That's why I don't think she ever experienced fear," he said, tears in his eyes. "She was never scared of the dark. And when she went down that hill, she went to explore a new world."

Dennis Richard said he doesn't believe negligence was involved in Mya's death.

Orange County sheriff's officials say the investigation could take several weeks. They said they would not release the name of the driver of the SUV until the investigation is complete.

"It looks like a very tragic accident," said sheriff's Sgt. Steve Doan.

Mya slipped out about 8:20 p.m. after her mother left to run an errand. A caretaker watched Mya and her brother, Jeremy, 8, authorities said.

The caretaker, who taught at Mya's school, formerly lived with the family, Dennis Richard said. The doggy door was installed for her pet, and it usually was locked, but Friday night the caretaker unlocked it because she had brought her dog, he said.

"Mya had never gone out that door," he said. "It was not something you'd expect her to do."

Mission Viejo Animal Control officer Lori Perry, returning to the shelter after a call about a snake, spotted the girl in the median, Doan said. She stopped her truck, turned on the emergency lights, got out and tried to talk the girl into walking over to her, Doan said.

"She was afraid to approach the young lady because she didn't want to scare her and make her run into traffic," Doan said.

Mya put her hands over her ears - something Dennis Richard said she did when a noise bothered her -- walked into traffic on the westbound side and was hit by a Ford Expedition.

Perry and a doctor who witnessed the accident gave aid to the girl until an ambulance arrived. Perry did not return calls Monday. Her supervisor said she was still shaken.

"She was placed in a horrible situation," shelter manager John Gonzales said. "I think this will be at the back of her mind for a long time."

Mya's death is the worst nightmare for those who work with autistic children, said Parker, principal of the girl's preschool program.

"We are constantly, constantly on the alert," said Parker, who was at the Richard house Monday afternoon along with a school psychologist and teachers to support the family. "These kiddos often don't have a sense of danger, don't understand the environment they're in."

Mya's class, run by the Orange County Department of Education, includes 12 children from ages 3 to 5, with four instructional assistants and two teachers.

Dennis Richard said Mya was normal the first year of her life. But she was diagnosed with autism at 18 months, after a series of childhood vaccinations, he said.

Some parents of autistic children have pointed to vaccinations as a possible cause of the learning disability, which strikes one in 250 California children. Scientists say the link is unfounded.

Mya's mother, Judy Richard, is a waitress at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Dana Point. Father Donny Richard, 28, a part-time Web site designer, changed after Mya was diagnosed with autism, his friend Farrell recalled.

"It's heartbreaking," Farrell said. "He went from typical young man to 'This is my role in life, to do the best for her.'"

"He grew up overnight - quit smoking, lost weight," she said. "He did everything he could (to) be there for her for a long time."

A memorial service for Mya Donnae Richard will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Capo Beach Calvary Chapel in Dana Point. A trust account in the girl's memory has been established at Wells Fargo branch banks. The account number is 5523049384.