Two children suffer major injuries in Turlock wreck

Two small children were airlifted to a hospital after suffering major injuries in a crash on West Hawkeye Avenue and North Golden State Boulevard on Wednesday afternoon.

The children, both girls, are 13 months old and 4 months old, authorities said. The girls were in child safety seats in an Acura sedan with their mother when it collided with a Volvo sedan in the intersection, police said. Those vehicles then continued moving and hit a Toyota pickup truck that was stopped on Golden State at the intersection.

The driver of the pickup, Turlock resident Sargis Mirza, said the children were unresponsive when he got out of his vehicle to try to help. He was unhurt, and Turlock Police Department spokesman Sgt. Neil Cervenka said the Volvo driver refused medical treatment at the scene.

The girls’ mother was also taken to a hospital with unknown injuries.

The accident happened shortly after noon. Determining the circumstances and fault would require an investigation at the scene that Cervenka estimated would take several hours.

The investigation would require the vehicles to remain at the scene, detouring traffic at the intersection, the sergeant said.

Shortly after the crash, Cervenka said it had not been determined whether the children were properly secured in their safety seats and if the seats were properly installed in the Acura.

This story was originally published March 29, 2017 at 12:50 PM with the headline "Two children suffer major injuries in Turlock wreck."