Mission Hills : 2 Adults, 5 Children Hurt in 2-Car Crash

Two adults and five children between the ages of 1 and 14 suffered a range of injuries Sunday after their minivan was broadsided and overturned near Brand Park in Mission Hills, authorities said.

Four of the children--a 5-year-old girl and three boys ages 4, 8 and 14--were taken to Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles and Pacifica Hospital of the Valley with serious injuries, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Bob Collis.

Meanwhile, a 1-year-old boy and two adults--a 41-year-old man and 42-year-old woman--sustained minor injuries and were taken to Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills. The names of the victims were not released, but police said they appeared to be part of the same family.

“The father got out and helped his family out,” said Los Angeles Police Sgt. Rod Grahek. “When the Fire Department got there, they were all sitting on the curb.”

According to Los Angeles Police Sgt. Glenn Wiggins, the minivan was struck from the side by a pickup truck, causing the van to roll over twice. “Evidently, one didn’t see the other,” he said. Wiggins said he could not be sure in which direction the vehicles were traveling.

The driver of the pickup was unhurt in the 4:15 p.m. crash in the 15100 block of South Brand Boulevard, just east of Sepulveda Boulevard. Wiggins said the driver probably will not be cited for the accident.