Latest news RSS Feed
Print Story
E-mail StoryYoung Wasco girl killed crossing the street
| Wednesday, Mar 12 2008 6:34 AM
Last Updated: Wednesday, Mar 12 2008 5:54 PM
A Wasco mother’s worst nightmare unfolded before her eyes Tuesday night when her 12-year-old daughter was struck by multiple vehicles and killed.
Our readers recommend:
Loading Stories
Guerra was struck by a hit-and-run driver, who was ultimately arrested and sentenced.
Photos:
Martha Perez, a 7th grader at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, was struck March 11 at Highway 43 and Filburn Street where she was ran westbound across the highway.
The accident had “eerie” similarities to the death of a 5-year-old girl a year ago on Poso Avenue in Wasco, said Sgt. Matt Lee of the sheriff’s substation.
Both victims fell behind their mother and siblings, and then ran across the street to catch up, Lee said.
In Tuesday’s incident, Martha Perez, a 7th grader at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, was struck at 7:30 p.m. at Highway 43 and Filburn Street where she was ran westbound across the highway, the coroner’s staff said.
The speed limit is 55 mph at that intersection.
Her mother was pushing a small baby in a stroller and had already crossed the highway with a 7-year-old sibling, Lee said. Seeing that Martha was still on the other side, the mother told her daughter to run across the street, the sergeant said.
As the girl ran, she was struck by a 1993 Toyota Camry, Lee said.
The driver of the Camry stopped, but was not cited, sheriff’s officials said. Witnesses said the girl may have been hit by additional vehicles.
The girl was flown to Kern Medical Center where she was pronounced dead at 8:38 p.m.
The tragedy called to mind the May 3, 2007, hit-and-run collision that killed 5-year-old Erica Paulina Guerra on Poso Avenue. That accident took place just north of Filburn Street at Highway 43.
Guerra’s mother was also pushing a baby stroller and walking with a 4-year-old sibling when Erica had fallen behind to tie her shoe, Lee recalled.
Erica ran across Poso Avenue to catch up when she was struck by a 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue, deputies reported.
Nine days later, the driver of that car, 17-year-old Salvador Garcia Jr. of Delano turned himself in. Because of his age, his Juvenile Court case was confidential, but Lee said he knew the teen was convicted of a charge and was sentenced to a term Erica’s family felt was too short.
The Tuesday incident is the only fatality on Highway 43 in Wasco in the last five years, Lee said.
The investigation is ongoing.
Supt. Gary Bray of the Wasco Union Elementary School District said the principal and teachers at Martha’s school were asked to let the students know what happened and offer counselors to anyone who needs one.
“There is a very, very somber mood right now on campus,” Richers said.
He talked to teachers who knew the girl and found out “she was a very quiet girl who was well-liked by friends. She was always helpful to other kids. She was very involved with her family.”
She was a normal student and had been attending Wasco schools since kindergarten, Richers said. She transferred to the middle school, which has 715 students, from Palm Avenue School, he said.
By coincidence, Richers said he actually drove by the accident scene Tuesday night.
“I didn’t know what happened then, but it looked horrific,” he said.