A family's decision to jaywalk across a busy Oceanside street Saturday cost a child her life, officials said.
The 7-year-old girl was struck and killed on Mission Avenue near Frontier Drive Sunday afternoon around 2 p.m.
Her parents had just taken the children shopping at a nearby swapmeet for one child's birthday presents, police said.
Officers said a Toyota Tundra pick-up truck hit the little girl when she ran into the street ahead of her parents.
Paramedics on scene took the girl to Tri-City Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
Nearby resident Alma Rivera and her family took the mourning father and his other child into their home to help comfort them.
"Even though I don't know that girl. it did hit me hard," she said.
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When asked if there was any lesson we could learn from the child's tragic death, Rivera said, "You need to use the light and not just cross."
Oceanside police say the family made the dangerous decision to jay walk across Mission, about 70-yards away from the crosswalk.
The initial investigation revealed DUI was not suspected to be a factor in the crash. The truck's driver will not face charges, officials said.
This is the second fatal jaywalking accident in the area over the past five years, according to investigators.
Lucy Rodriguez, who lives nearby, said she sees people dodging traffic on Mission far too often.
"Families cross the street with their kids and its dangerous there because it's a lot of traffic there," she said.
