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After Crash Kills Dad, 9-Year-Old Girl Hikes Mile In Dark Through CA Mountains For Help [UPDATED]
Acton, California (Photo by Archie Tucker via the LAist Featured Photos pool)
A 9-year-old girl hiked a mile through difficult terrain in the middle of a cold night to get help after the SUV she was in tumbled off a remote section of highway in the mountains north of Los Angeles. Her 35-year-old father did not survive the crash, and authorities suspect he was driving under the influence of alcohol.
CHP officers said the girl went on a difficult trek just outside of Acton to get help for her father despite her minor injuries, according to City News Service. The crash was reported to CHP at 1:55 am, and it was about 30 degrees at the time. The girl climbed up a rocky hill and then down a highway. She eventually came upon a house, but no one answered. She hiked up a steep embankment to a road where she was able to flag down a passing motorist. Altogether she walked about a mile.
CHP responded to the scene of the crash just north of Soledad Canyon Road on Sierra Highway. It appears that the SUV the father and child were in veered off the road, tumbled down a dirt embankment and rolled over several times. The child's father was pronounced dead at the scene, and officials said there was evidence that he had been drinking prior to the crash. His name was not released until his relatives were notified.
A helicopter transported the 9-year-old child to Children's Hospital in Los Angeles to treat her injuries.
UPDATE, MARCH 25, 8:27 A.M.: The man has been identified as Alejandro Renteria of North Hollywood, reports CNS.
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