Two young brothers in California took their parents' car and crashed into a woman while she was walking her dog leaving her critically injured, according to reports from CBS News and local outlet ABC7.
The crash happened on Thursday, August 6 around 9:30 a.m. in East Oakland's Bartlett neighborhood, according to CBS News. Investigators told the outlet the boys, ages 4 and 7, were inside a white Toyota Camry that was being driven by the 7-year-old when it struck another vehicle, lost control and hit the woman, who was walking her dog in a crosswalk.
The sedan then jumped a curb and crashed through a fence in the front yard of a nearby home, narrowly missing a fire hydrant. The woman, who is in her 30s, was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
Both children were also injured and transported to a hospital in stable condition, CBS News reported.
According to ABC7 the boys had taken the vehicle from their home while their parents were asleep. The crash occurred several blocks away from where the family lives. Authorities said the parents have been interviewed and are cooperating with the investigation.
USA TODAY has reached out to the Oakland Police Department for information on the incident.
Witnesses describe chaotic crash scene
Surveillance video and witness accounts described the sedan speeding down the street before the collision.
"It was loud," witness Lavelle Shah-Marquis told ABC7. "I pray that she's okay, but it was bad."
Bystander video showed people performing CPR on the injured woman and on one of the children before first responders arrived. Witness Anthony Hudson told CBS News the efforts continued until police and paramedics reached the scene.
Shah-Marquis said two Good Samaritans rushed to help keep the woman alive until emergency crews arrived.
Investigation continues as questions remain
Oakland police said investigators do not believe drugs or alcohol have been identified as factors in the crash. Authorities are continuing to investigate exactly how the children gained access to the vehicle.
The woman's dog ran from the scene after the crash but was later found unharmed, according to the East Bay Times.
Police are asking anyone with information, photos or video related to the crash to contact the department's traffic investigation unit.
Could anyone face charges?
The unusual circumstances have raised questions about whether anyone could face criminal charges.
Former prosecutor and legal analyst Steven Clark told ABC7 he believes criminal accountability for the children is unlikely because of their ages, though investigators could examine whether the parents' level of supervision played a role. He said the case is more likely to result in civil proceedings than criminal charges.
Dr. Shivani Chmura, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, told ABC7 that children that young are not developmentally capable of fully understanding the consequences of their actions and said they should receive counseling rather than blame following such a traumatic event.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com, or on X @athompsonUSAT
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2 young boys took the family car. Then a woman was hurt, police say
