Merced child killed in crash outside Bakersfield has been identified

A child killed over the weekend in a crash outside Bakersfield was identified Tuesday as Baby Lamya Stelly-Whitelow, a 7-year-old Merced girl.

The child’s name and age were confirmed Tuesday by the Kern County Coroner’s Office. Law enforcement officials initially reported the child’s age as 8.

According to California Highway Patrol investigators, the child wasn’t wearing a seat belt. Two other children, a 5-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl, also were not buckled in. All three were thrown from the 1997 Ford Explorer in which they were riding when it crashed around 3 p.m. Saturday on Highway 58, southeast of Bakersfield.

The driver, Latonya Stelly, was wearing a seat belt, but investigators believe she may have been on her cellphone at the time of the collision. Stelly and the two other children suffered “moderate to major injuries” and were taken to Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield. Updates on their conditions were not available Tuesday.

Officers have not confirmed the relationship between Stelly and the three children.

Investigators do not believe alcohol was a factor in the crash.

This story was originally published June 27, 2017 at 3:31 PM with the headline "Merced child killed in crash outside Bakersfield has been identified."