A growing memorial of flowers, plush toys and candles marks the intersection of Broadway and Fesler Street in Santa Maria, where a child in a stroller was struck and killed last Friday while crossing the street with her mother.
The child has been identified as Leilany Diaz Vazquez. Her mother was also struck in the crash, suffered fractures to her ribs, hips and spine, and remains in the hospital.
Police say the mother and child were in a marked crosswalk when they were struck by a vehicle. Investigators are looking into the cause of the crash.
"All indications are leading to possibly a right-of-way violation on part of the driver. This is based upon witness statements and some video surveillance that we have from the area," said Santa Maria Police Department Sgt. Shane Armstrong.
Sgt. Armstrong also said the driver was cooperative and drugs or alcohol are not suspected at this point. Once the investigation is complete, the case will be sent to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office for review.
Neighbor Machelle Saucedo said she was nearby when the crash happened.
"I went to McDonald's and when I heard help me, help me, she had obviously gotten hit by the car with the baby in the stroller. It was so devastating, and there was a woman screaming and people were still trying to go around because they didn't know what was going on," Saucedo said.
Family members who lived with Leilany prepared a vigil Tuesday evening. They said she brought joy into the house, left a mark on all of them and will not be forgotten.
At the memorial, the messages left behind are not just about grief, they are also about prevention. Among the posters at the corner of Fesler Street are messages reading "Maneje con cuidado para evitar accidentes," which translates to "Drive with caution to avoid accidents," and "No manejes si no eres responsable," which translates to "Do not drive if you're not responsible."
The tragedy is raising concerns among neighbors about the safety of this roadway.
"It's so busy [at] the intersection right there. There's been a lot of accidents there," Saucedo said.
Police say since 2023, there have been three vehicle-versus-pedestrian collisions at that particular intersection. That data covers pedestrian crashes specifically and does not reflect all collisions at the intersection. Armstrong said there was one additional pedestrian collision about one block south of the intersection and two more just north of it.
The Santa Maria Police Department is asking anyone who witnessed the crash and has not yet given a statement to contact the Santa Maria Police Department Traffic Bureau.
A GoFundMe set up for the family has so far raised more than $11,000.
