The child was airlifted from a local Santa Barbara, Calif., hospital to a specialized hospital in Los Angeles

State Street in Santa Barbara, CaliforniaCredit: Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty
State Street in Santa Barbara, California
Credit: Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty

NEED TO KNOW

  • A 3-year-old was struck by a car while walking with her family on State Street in Santa Barbara, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 18
  • The young girl was taken to the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital before she was airlifted to a Los Angeles hospital, where she remains severely injured
  • Police said the driver remained at the scene and was not cited or arrested; an investigation is ongoing

A 3-year-old remains severely injured a day after she was struck by a car in Santa Barbara, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 18.

The child was struck around 10 a.m. local time as she was walking with her family across a crosswalk near McKenzie Park, according to the Santa Barbara Independent. No one else was injured in the collision.

Santa Barbara Police Department, Fire Department and paramedics responded to the scene. First responders treated the child and took her to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Due to her severe injuries, she was airlifted to a specialized hospital in Los Angeles.

The driver stayed at the crash scene and was not cited or arrested, Santa Barbara Police Department (SBPD) Commander Nathan Beltran told Noozhawk. Drugs or alcohol are not suspected to be factors in the collision, Beltran said. The SBPD is investigating the collision.

Her aunt, Julie Stephenson, created a GoFundMe to help the parents, who also have an 8-year-old son, with the unexpected medical costs. Both parents are self-employed, and “When they can’t work, they don’t get paid,” the GoFundMe reads.

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“There is no paid leave to fall back on, and right now, they need to be with their daughter. They don’t yet know when they’ll be able to return to work,” per the fundraising description. “Every donation will help them keep up with everyday bills and give them time to be with their children without the immediate worry of how to make ends meet.”

PEOPLE reached out to the Santa Barbara Police Department for comment.

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