Girl, 9, Struck by Car as She Crosses Street

A 9-year-old girl leaving Valerio Street Elementary School was struck by a car, despite efforts of a crossing guard to slow the speeding vehicle, police said.

The accident occurred about 3:30 p.m. in a crosswalk on Saticoy Street at Noble Avenue, said Officer Garry Kingsland of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Valley Traffic Division.

The girl, Priscilla Gonzales, was airlifted to Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles for treatment, said hospital spokeswoman Janet Dodson. She was reported in fair condition, with cuts on her head that required stitches, Dodson said.

Kingsland said police will ask the city attorney’s office to file charges of speeding and failure to yield to a crossing guard against Gholam Sarras, 39, the driver of the vehicle.

Kingsland said a van stopped to let the children pass through the crosswalk and Gholam swerved around it, hitting the girl.

Sarras told police the van stopped suddenly in front of him, blocking his view of the crosswalk. Police said he did not see the victim and stopped as soon as he realized he had struck her, Kingsland said.

“He was very cooperative and remorseful,” Kingsland said. Crossing guard Eleanor Barraza, 59, who was not hurt, told police she saw Gholam’s ’96 Toyota Camry coming toward the children and knew it was going too fast to stop.

Barraza held up her sign to slow the car, Kingsland said, and tried to wave the girl off from entering the crosswalk.