Driver, child hurt in crash on La Loma in Modesto. Medical problem possible cause

A male driver had to be extricated and a 10-year-old girl was airlifted with moderate injuries after a crash into a tree on La Loma Avenue on Monday morning, Modesto police reported.

The crash happened about 8:50 a.m. on La Loma at Las Palmas. The white Ford Taurus was heading east on La Loma.

“Witnesses said the driver slowed to a near stop in front of Kewin Park and then accelerated eastbound, crossing over into traffic, then onto the sidewalk, where he hit a tree,” Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Sharon Bear told The Bee.

Police and medical personnel arrived to find the man unresponsive, MPD Sgt. Jamie Demings said. Witnesses said it looked like he might have been having a medical problem prior to crashing. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital for treatment. No word on his condition was immediately available.

An officer was at the hospital to gain any information that becomes available on what caused the crash, Bear said.

The girl was alert and talking with officers, Deming said. She was airlifted to a children’s hospital because she suffered head injuries and there was concern about a possible concussion, he said.

The identities of the two people and the age of the male were not immediately available.

This story was originally published March 25, 2019 at 12:33 PM.