3 Girls Hurt in Hit-Run at Sun Valley Motel

A teenage motorist struck three girls in a Sun Valley motel parking lot Saturday afternoon, critically injuring a 10-year-old, then sped away, authorities said.

The driver, believed to be a girl about 15, was still being sought Saturday night. California Highway Patrol officers recovered the car a few blocks from the motel after recognizing it from a description broadcast by police, said CHP Officer Frank Sansone.

One of the victims, an 8-year-old, was hospitalized with minor injuries, police said. A 14-year-old was hospitalized with broken ankles.

The 10-year-old was listed in critical but stable condition at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, said spokeswoman Roberta Nichols. Ribs, both legs and her collarbone were broken.

Witnesses said a dark Ford Crown Victoria smashed into another vehicle in the parking lot before turning and accelerating toward the girls, said Lt. Ron Tingle of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Valley Traffic Division. The incident happened just before 5 p.m. at the Willows Motor Lodge, a two-story motel in the 8300 block of Glenoaks Boulevard.

“It sounds like it was an accident,” Tingle said. “Maybe the driver, possibly because of her age, just panicked. We’re not looking at it as an intentional act at this time. It’s still a hit-and-run felony, though.”