2-year-old who was pinned under van after crash escapes major injuries, CHP says

A 2-year-old boy who was thrown from a vehicle in a June 16 crash on Highway 99 escaped major injuries, according to California Highway Patrol.

Initial CHP reports said the boy was airlifted to Valley Children's Hospital for treatment of major injuries. But he was treated and released the next day with only minor injuries, CHP Merced Officer Eric Zuniga said.

The boy was in a car seat but not properly restrained while 25-year-old mother Diana Mendoza, of Winton, was driving a 1998 Chevrolet Astrovan north on Highway 99, south of the Shanks Road exit in Delhi on June 16, according to CHP.

Mendoza told authorities she felt a vibration in the car and applied her brakes, according to CHP reports. That's when she said she lost control and swerved to the right side of the highway.

The van overturned and between the off-ramp and freeway, CHP said.

The boy was ejected from the vehicle and ended up trapped underneath the van, according to CHP. But he was freed by a passerby.

Drugs and alcohol weren't considered to be factors in the collision.