A 10-year-old Gilroy girl suffered severe injuries after she was hit by car while riding her bike on Westwood Drive near First Street around 6:30 p.m. Saturday. She was not wearing a helmet.
The girl was airlifted by helicopter ambulance to a Bay Area trauma center for treatment, according to Gilroy Police Sgt. Chad Gallacinao. Her status as of Monday morning is unknown, he said.
While her injuries were severe, they were not life-threatening, Gallacinao said.
“Precautions were taken,” he said about authorities deciding to call for the air ambulance as opposed to ground transportation.
The driver of the 2000 Ford Focus is a 40-year-old woman from Gilroy. The incident is considered an injury accident, though the cause is still under investigation, Gallacinao said.
The girl was riding on the sidewalk along Westwood Drive then it appears at some point crossed Westwood in the crosswalk near the Chevron gas station. It’s unclear exactly at what point she was struck by the car.
Neighbors nearby and clear down to Kelton Drive came out of their homes to the sound of a helicopter landing on First Street to airlift the girl to a hospital.
