Girl Killed, Sister Hurt in Car Crash

A 9-year-old girl was killed and her 6-year-old sister injured early Monday when they were thrown from their parents’ car when it was broadsided by another vehicle on the northbound transition road to the San Diego Freeway at the El Toro Y, authorities said.

Maria Concepcion of Compton was declared dead at the scene of the accident at about 12:30 a.m., California Highway Patrol Officer Bill Wedderburn said. Her sister, Arasell Gomez, suffered major abrasions and was treated at Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo, Wedderburn said.

Seven people were riding in the car, and neither girl was wearing a seat belt, Wedderburn said. In addition, a 1-year-old boy was not riding in a car seat, he said. No one else was hurt.

The father of the two girls, David Gomez, 38, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of manslaughter and felony child endangerment.

The accident occurred when Gomez, driving a station wagon north on Interstate 5, attempted to cut across a dirt shoulder area to get to the northbound transition lanes to the San Diego Freeway, Wedderburn said. Gomez’s car hit a raised divider, spun and was struck by a sport utility vehicle driven by Simon Bourne, 34, of Lawndale, Wedderburn said.