Mother, daughter escape major injuries after vehicle collision in Merced, police say

A girl and her mother were struck by a vehicle at a Merced intersection Thursday but escaped major injuries, according to police.

The mother was on a bicycle and her daughter was on a childrens motorized bike traveling north on Glen Avenue crossing East 21st Street in a crosswalk, Merced Police Officer Craig McKeeman said.

At about 10:41 a.m., Merced police received a report of a vehicle striking a juvenile, McKeeman said. When officers responded, they saw the mother and child were injured.

The mother complained of pain on her right side while the daughter had some bruises on her elbows, knees and face, McKeeman said. Both were transported by ambulance to Mercy Medical Center in Merced.

According to the initial investigation, while the girl and mother were crossing, a female driver of a gray Chevrolet sedan was traveling west on East 21st Street toward the intersection, which had a red light, McKeeman said. But as the driver approached the intersection, the light turned green and she continued.

However, the bicyclists hadn’t yet crossed the intersection and the Chevrolet sedan struck both of them.

“There was some vision obstruction with a vehicle next to (the driver),” McKeeman said, noting the driver, who stopped and stayed on scene, said she didn’t see the mother and daughter.

The girl’s motorized bike was stuck underneath the sedan and dragged through the intersection, McKeeman said. Merced City firefighters used a motorized jack to raise the car and recover the bike.

This story was originally published July 26, 2018 at 12:37 PM.