Girl Hit by Car in Crosswalk Dies

A 7-year-old Sherman Oaks girl hit by a car while in a crosswalk died early Wednesday, police said.

The child, whom authorities declined to identify, was walking Tuesday in a marked crosswalk on Magnolia Boulevard when she was struck and thrown 100 feet. She died at 12:40 a.m. at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, said hospital spokeswoman Sandra Corona.

The car’s driver, a woman traveling westbound in a red Chevrolet Cavalier, told police that she did not see the girl because the sun was shining in her eyes.

“At this point it appears to be a very tragic accident,” said Det. Jim Deaton of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Valley Traffic Division, who declined to release the driver’s name. He said an investigation has begun.

“We’re still looking for more witnesses,” Deaton said. Police have asked anyone who saw the accident, which happened just west of Cedros Avenue at 5:40 p.m. Tuesday, to call Valley Traffic at (818) 756-8391.

In a separate incident, a 9-year-old Burbank girl was listed in good condition Wednesday at a local hospital after being struck Tuesday afternoon by a city-owned parking control vehicle, police said.

The girl darted into the street in front of the vehicle, a Subaru station wagon driven by parking Officer Cheryl Penikowski, said Det. Jeff Campbell of the Burbank Police Department. Penikowski was traveling about 10 mph, he said. The child, whom police would not name, suffered scrapes and bruises and was hospitalized for tests overnight, Campbell said. She was expected to be released late Wednesday.