Brother and sister, ages 2 and 3, struck in Vallejo hit-and-run
VALLEJO, Calif. (Autumn Allison/KTVU) - Two toddlers are in the hospital tonight, after being struck by a hit and run driver. It happened Sunday evening at about 5:45 p.m., in Vallejo.
Witnesses saw the aftermath of the accident along Turner Parkway, including the crumpled stroller in the street.
"When I came down from Toys R Us, I seen police and I seen a double stroller pushed in the middle of the intersection over the rocks. And I was just wondering what happened and hoping no kids were really in there," says Robbin Newman, who happened to be driving by.
But there were children in the stroller: a 2-year old boy and 3-year-old girl. They were being pushed by their mother when they were struck by a speeding car.
Both children were thrown from the stroller and critically injured. Police say the little girl's condition has improved and that she'll be going home tonight. Her little brother was more seriously injured, underwent two surgeries for several broken bones and a head injury.
The father told police the boy will need additional surgery. He added that the family is "optimistic" he will survive.
"When the officers arrived there were numerous citizens that were trying to render first aid to the children who had been hit and were in the roadway. The vehicle immediately fled the scene," says Lt. Jeff Bassett with the Vallejo Police Department.
Vallejo Police Department released surveillance photos from a video camera of the suspect car, a white sedan, early 2000s Acura TL.
Now they're trying desperately to track it down. They're hoping surveillance cameras from nearby businesses will help.
"It's a commercial area, so there's several cameras. We have to determine, how operable are they? Did they have a view of the street. So those things are being determined today," says Lt. Bassett.
The images are from cameras at a parking lot right around the corner from the crash scene.
Authorities suspect the family was crossing between the shopping center on one side of the street and the neighborhood on the other.
Residents say they've been pushing for a crosswalk or a stop sign there.
"It's very dangerous for any pedestrians in the area, especially pedestrians that want to go to the shopping center here. Because there's no way to get... there's no marked crosswalk for them. So they have to risk their life to cross four lanes of traffic," says Akil Scott who lives across the street.
The mother in this case, was not physically hurt. Both children have been airlifted to the hospital.
Lt. Bassett says, " We were able to get them out of here and to a hospital relatively quickly. And their best chance is to get their quickly and that did happen. And so we can just hope and pray at this point for the children."
Investigators are still hoping more witnesses will come forward. Anyone with information in this case is asked to contact Vallejo Police at (707) 648-4329.