THOUSAND OAKS : Baby Girl Dies After Car Rolls Over Her
A 4-week-old baby girl died after the car her father was working on at their Thousand Oaks home knocked over the child’s mother and then rolled over the infant, authorities said Sunday.
Adriana Lopez died in the recovery room following surgery at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks at 6:45 p.m. Saturday, nine hours after the accident, the Ventura County coroner’s office said.
Oralia Paz was holding her daughter outside the family home as the baby’s father, Cruz Lopez, worked on the car. A 12-year-old child was inside the car revving the engine to help Lopez when the car accelerated backward, striking Paz with the open car door and knocking the infant from her arms. The car then rolled over the baby, breaking her pelvis and causing other internal injuries. Her mother was not injured.
No criminal charges were expected to be filed, Ventura County Sheriff’s Lt. Paul Miller said.
“It doesn’t seem that [criminal charges] are warranted,” he said. “It seems like a very unfortunate accident.”
Miller said the vehicle had been impounded to determine whether it was a mechanical failure or human error that put the car into gear.
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