6-Year-Old Girl Hit By Car After She Was Able to Walk Away from School

A Long Beach family says a 6-year-old girl with autism spectrum disorder was injured when she walked away from a local elementary school last Friday and was struck by a vehicle.

The crash happened shortly before 12:30 p.m. Sept. 6 at the intersection of Anaheim Street and Termino Avenue, according to Long Beach police.

The girl’s family believes she walked away from Bryant Elementary School on nearby East Fountain Street attempting to go to her father’s house on Termino. Her father, Cecilio Serrato, died just over three months ago, according to aunt Betty Baxter, who said the family now has to pay for her niece’s medical expenses, including needed physical therapy.

Baxter blames the school district for allowing her niece to walk away unsupervised.

“I’m concerned that if things go on like this, there will be another incident like what happened to Isabella,” Baxter said. “We want change. We want reform. We want LBUSD to step up and really protect our kids.”

The Long Beach Unified School District was unable to provide details about how Isabella was able to leave campus and end up in the street.

“We are deeply saddened by the recent incident involving a Bryant Elementary student. Our thoughts are with the student and their family during this challenging time. The safety and well-being of our students and staff is our top priority and we are addressing this matter with the utmost care and attention,” LBUSD spokesperson Elvia Cano said in a statement. “Due to the confidential nature of student matters and the ongoing investigation, we are unable to provide further details at this time. However, we remain fully committed to learning from this incident and taking all necessary steps to protect our students and their safety.”

Police say a preliminary investigation determined the girl ran into the roadway and then was struck by a vehicle heading eastbound on Anaheim Street near Termino Avenue.

The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, police said.

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