La Palma Woman Charged in Girl’s Crosswalk Death

A La Palma woman whose car struck two girls and their grandmother in a Buena Park crosswalk, fatally injuring one girl, was charged Thursday with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.

If convicted, Deborah Casey, 25, could receive up to a year in the County Jail or a fine, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office said. Her arraignment was scheduled for Jan. 24.

The accident occurred Tuesday on Crescent Avenue near San Marino Elementary School, where both girls were enrolled. Mary Dargan, 6, of Buena Park, who had head injuries and a broken neck, died at UCI Medical Center Wednesday morning.

Her sister, Morgan, 5, was in stable condition Thursday at Charter Community Hospital in Hawaiian Gardens where she was being treated for a fractured thigh bone. The condition of their grandmother, Rose Dargan, 72, who suffered a broken pelvis and lacerations, was upgraded from serious to satisfactory, Los Alamitos Medical Center officials said Thursday.

Officers investigating the accident said Casey hit the three after she looked down to turn off her windshield wipers and was unable to stop soon enough when she looked up. She was released after police questioning.

Casey’s mother, Jeanette Casey, on Thursday said her daughter, who “was hysterical” after the accident, was under sedation and resting at a friend’s home. She will undergo psychiatric counseling, her mother said

“It’s been rough on the whole family,” said Jeanette Casey, crying herself. “The little girl died.”