Driver tries to swerve but kills 7-year-old girl crossing highway, California cops say

A 7-year-old girl crossing Highway 101 alone at night died after being run over by several vehicles, California officials told news outlets.

The girl was hit at about 11 p.m. Friday, April 7, near the Monterey County community of Prunedale, the California Highway Patrol told KSBW.

The girl, dressed in black, walked in front of a Nissan whose driver tried to swerve but could not avoid striking her, highway patrol told the station. Several other vehicles also struck her.

Eliana Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the scene, KION reported. Her family told the station she had autism and had gotten out of her nearby home after her father fell asleep.

A GoFundMe established for the family’s expenses said Eliana’s mother died six months ago.

Prunedale is a city of 19,000 people about 100 miles south of San Francisco.

This story was originally published April 10, 2023 at 1:01 PM with the headline "Driver tries to swerve but kills 7-year-old girl crossing highway, California cops say."