8-year-old Merced child killed in crash outside Bakersfield

An 8-year-old girl died when she was thrown from a vehicle in a crash outside Bakersfield, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The crash was reported around 3 p.m. Saturday on Highway 58, east of General Beale Road, about 17 miles southeast of Bakersfield.

The child’s name could not immediately be confirmed.

Two other children, a 5-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl, also were ejected from the 1997 Ford Explorer in which they were riding. They suffered “moderate to major injuries” and were taken to the Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield for treatment. Updates on their conditions were not immediately available Monday.

The driver, 26-year-old Latonya Stelly, suffered a broken leg and multiple lacerations, also described by officers as “moderate to major injuries.” She also was taken to the hospital in Bakersfield.

Accrording to CHP Officer Rodriguez, investigators believe Stelly may have been on her cellphone at the time of the crash.

All four people in the SUV were listed as Merced residents, but officers did not say how they were related.

According to the CHP, Stelly was heading west on Highway 58 around 3 p.m. with the three children in her SUV when she struck the center divider wall on the roadway.

“The Ford then traveled across traffic lanes onto the right shoulder,” the CHP said in a news release.

The driver was unable to regain control as the Ford traveled back towards the center divide. The vehicle struck the concrete wall and rolled multiple times before coming to a stop, investigators said.

The CHP said Stelly was wearing a seat belt, but the three children were not.

“Alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the collision,” the CHP reported.

This story was originally published June 26, 2017 at 7:55 AM with the headline "8-year-old Merced child killed in crash outside Bakersfield."