POLLOCK PINES, Calif. — A young girl in Pollock Pines is still on the road to recovery after being struck by an appliance van in May of 2023. Recently, she made a big stride in her recovery by taking her first independent steps since the crash.
Video shared to ABC10 by Juniper's family shows the young girl taking her first steps without help. Family members told ABC10 she just started taking those steps within the last few weeks but still needs a helping hand or walker.
According to Juniper's Caring Bridge account, she is still trying to regain her skills. She can take about five to six independent steps and is working to stand and balance on her own.
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Juniper was among five elementary-age children hurt in the crash. It happened around 10:40 a.m. May 31 at Pony Express Trail near Willow Street. California Highway Patrol said the children were crossing the street when the driver of an appliance van hit them, causing major injuries. At the time, CHP said neither drugs nor alcohol were thought to be factors in the crash.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY FINDINGS
The district attorney’s release provided more information about the day of the crash and the subsequent investigation.
The weather at the time of the crash was sunny and clear, the road was dry and the view to the crosswalk was not obstructed.
The driver initially told CHP he was going about 40 mph and might have been looking down at his GPS when he saw kids in the road. He said he started to brake and then panicked and tried to move one of the children out of the road.
Investigators ordered a reconstruction expert, who did a site assessment and vehicle exam that included 369 photos of the accident site, several videos of the site and surrounding area, a scan of the location, a visibility assessment from the driving path and more.
The 24-page report found the driver was going 37 mph before braking with the van going an additional 22 feet after braking before the collision.
The driver also turned over his two cell phones to investigators, who did a forensic analysis and found there was nothing that would indicate use or interaction with the devices at the time of the crash.
On a potential charge of negligence, the district attorney’s office concluded charges would not apply since no pedestrians were killed.
On a potential charge of intentionally driving with conscious disregard for safety, the district attorney’s office said it would have to prove the suspect drove with ‘wanton disregard for safety.’
The office concluded that although the driver may have been negligent, there is not enough evidence to prove his driving was a substantial risk to others and that he ignored the risk.
They ultimately decided not to file charges against the driver.
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