A tragic scene unfolded at 5959 Guhn Road in Houston on Tuesday evening when a 19-month-old girl was fatally hit by a car after wandering into a parking lot, Houston police confirmed. The accident happened around 6:35 p.m., and while the toddler's name has not yet been released, the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences is in the process of confirming her identity.
According to the City of Houston, the heartbreaking incident took place when two adult women, presumably caring for the children, were descending a staircase at a nearby business; one of the women, in a moment's distraction to retrieve a dropped cellphone, lost sight of the child who then ventured unattended into harm's way and was subsequently struck by a gray Chevrolet Impala, the woman in retrieval of her phone was not aware of the child's movement until the accident occurred.
The driver of the vehicle, a 29-year-old woman, stopped immediately after the collision and tried to help the child. She remained at the scene and cooperated with officials, where upon preliminary evaluation, showed no signs of intoxication, police reported. Emergency responders rushed the little girl to a local hospital, but despite their efforts, she was pronounced dead.
As the investigation by the HPD Vehicular Crimes Division Sergeant E. Fendia and Officer R. Singleton continues, they have not yet filed charges against the driver who struck the child, and her identity has not been disclosed, the driver was questioned at the scene and then released, authorities are diligently piecing together the events that led up to the tragic moment, to understand how such a poignant loss of life transpired on what began as an ordinary Tuesday.
