7-Year-Old Pacoima Girl Killed in 3-Vehicle Crash

Los Angeles police Thursday were trying to determine which of two vehicles ran a red light, causing a three-vehicle crash that killed a 7-year-old girl.

Adriana Perez of Pacoima was seated in the camper shell of a pickup truck headed west on Terra Bella Street about 8 p.m. Wednesday, Police Officer Pat Ramsey said. She was huddled under the shell with two other family members when the truck was hit by another pickup going south on Laurel Canyon Boulevard, causing the shell to fly off, Ramsey said. A car behind the truck she was in rammed into it.

Perez died at Pacifica Hospital of the Valley a few hours after the crash, Ramsey said. The 23-year-old man and 6-year-old boy riding with her were injured, as were three passengers in the cab.

The driver of the other pickup, Pablo Osorio, 35, suffered minor injuries, Ramsey said, as did the driver of the car. Although there is a traffic light at the intersection, it was unclear who ran the red light, and no arrests have been made, Ramsey said.

Although police say a camper shell is not adequate protection for passengers, it is still legal to carry unbelted passengers in the rear of a pickup if the shell is on, Police Detective Tom Whetzel said.

“It’s a very poor law,” he said.