Three girls injured in Oxnard hit-and-run

The following article was taken from the Ventura County Star. One of the girls mentioned is my sweet little niece, Phoenix. She was released from the hospital today and doing better, but having to hear that your niece was hit by a car was the worst feeling ever: Three girls were injured Saturday night after a suspected hit-and-run crash at Silver Strand Beach near the intersection of Santa Monica Drive and Victoria Avenue in Oxnard.California Highway Patrol officers said a mother, Joan Aronson, 50 was walking with her two daughters, ages 8 and 6, and an 11-year-old girl, on a bicycle path when a vehicle swerved and hit the curb and all three children while traveling north on Victoria. Officers said witnesses reported the vehicle left the scene in the same direction it had been heading.The incident was reported about 7:14 p.m. in the mainly residential area.All three girls suffered serious injuries, said Officer Steve Reid, a spokesman for the Ventura office of the patrol, and were taken to Ventura County Medical Center in Ventura. Aronson, who was walking closest to traffic, was not injured, Reid said.Reid said a man who witnessed the crash tried to run after the vehicle on foot after the crash and was able to flag down another car that was headed in the opposite direction.The other driver then made a U-turn and tried to locate the vehicle that hit the girls, but it had already gotten a head start, Reid said.The pair traveled along Victoria to Channel Islands Boulevard and were unable to find the vehicle, Reid said.Officers on the scene were reconstructing the incident Saturday night while traffic was still flowing and the area was marked with cones."It was pandemonium when we got here," said Officer Mike Untalan, an investigating officer at the scene.Officers were looking for the suspect vehicle which was described as a newer silver or gray Japanese-type vehicle that had tinted windows, possibly a soft top and possibly a hatchback. The vehicle most likely has damage to its bumper, headlight and fender and might be missing a hub cap. It was unknown how many people were in it.The patrol is asking for the public's help in this investigation. Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information is asked to call the patrol's Ventura-area office at 477-4100 and ask for Untalan or any investigator.Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/feb/04/2-children-injured-in-suspected-hit-and-run-near/#ixzz1lZFGkgcP - vcstar.com