Girl Injured in Traffic Collision in Valley

A car carrying three children to school collided with a truck Monday morning, leaving a 6-year-old girl with serious internal injuries.

The girl, who was airlifted to the UCLA Medical Center, was upgraded from critical to stable condition by Monday afternoon after suffering damage to her liver, according to police. The five others involved in the accident, including the 6-year-old’s mother, who was driving, were treated for minor injuries at local hospitals, police said.

Reyna Funez, 41, of Van Nuys, was driving her daughter and two other children to Hazeltine Elementary School about 8 a.m., heading north on Hazeltine Avenue. As Funez was turning left onto Hamlin Street, police said, her Honda was struck by a southbound white Ford truck.

The truck hit the Honda on the passenger side, where Funez’s daughter was sitting.

The Honda in turn hit a third car stopped on Hamlin Street, police said. The driver of that car was treated for minor injuries at the scene.

The driver of the truck, Heraclio Rodriguez, 40, of Van Nuys, suffered minor injuries, but was being kept overnight at Northridge Hospital Medical Center so doctors could monitor an erratic heartbeat, Madera said.

No charges will be filed against any of the drivers.

“It was just an accident, not reckless driving,” Madera said. “When [Funez] made the left turn, she never saw the truck coming, and [the truck driver] never had a chance to react.”