11-Year-Old Girl Dies, 5 Others Injured After SUV Crash in California

Following a car accident in Northern California, an 11-year-old girl has died and five young teenagers were injured after a SUV vehicle crashed into a tree early Sunday morning, according to local authorities.
The accident occurred near Stockton, California, about 85 miles east of San Francisco, when officers responded to the 5800 block of N. El Dorado Street on a report of a vehicle that had collided with a tree. According to the Stockton Police Department, when officers arrived on the scene, they confirmed that the victims involved in the accident included five girls ages 11,13,14,14, and 15 along with a 13-year-old boy. All of those involved in the incident were transported to area hospitals for treatment.
However, according to Stockton police, the 11-year-old died as a result of her injuries at the hospital while the other teens were treated for what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries.
“The 11-year-old female succumbed to her injuries at the hospital as a result of the collision. The other five were transported to area hospitals for treatment of what appears to be non-life-threatening injuries,” the Stockton Police Department said in a Facebook post.
Details surrounding the crash remain unclear, including who was driving the vehicle at the time. Stockton police have said it “remains an ongoing investigation.”
According to the Associated Press (AP), Officer Omer Edhah of the Stockton Police described the incident as both alarming and disturbing, telling local news station ABC10 about the importance of vigilance within the community. He urged parents to be aware of their children’s whereabouts and to keep a close watch on car keys.
“And our message out to the community is be mindful where your children are, be aware of where your car keys are, be mindful of who you give your keys to and just kind of be aware all around,” Edhah told ABC10.
Newsweek reached out to the Stockton Police Department via email on Monday for comment.
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), while the number of teen motor-vehicle occupant deaths in 2022 totaled 2,547 for a 7.2 percent decrease from 2,744 in 2021, motor-vehicle crashes continue to be the number one cause of preventable death for teenagers in the U.S.
NHTSA also estimates that the total number of deaths among teens ages 13 to 19, including pedestrian and bicycle incidents, was 2,883 in 2022 and averaging nearly eight deaths per day.
Sunday’s incident comes less than two weeks after three people were killed and several others were injured after a teen driver crashed a stolen vehicle in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 13.
Kansas City police said in a press release previously emailed to Newsweek that the incident began when a 16-year-old driver fled from a police traffic stop in a stolen vehicle. The teenager, who was behind the wheel of a Kia Soul reported stolen earlier in the month, had initially complied with the police order to stop.
However, as an officer approached the vehicle, packed with seven passengers including four children, the teen suddenly sped away. Authorities confirmed that the police officer did not pursue the fleeing vehicle.
Shortly after fleeing, the Kia traveling eastbound on 35th Street “at a high rate of speed” crashed into a Chevy Tahoe. The Tahoe, which was attempting a left turn, was struck and spun around before the Soul slammed into a utility pole and flipped onto its roof.
According to authorities, the teen driver and the 37-year-old front seat passenger were pronounced dead at the scene.
A second left passenger transported to a hospital was pronounced dead shortly after arriving. The remaining five passengers of the Kia Soul suffered serious injuries but are expected to survive.