Child in stroller dies after being hit by car on Central Coast street

A 1-year-old child died and the mother pushing the toddler in a stroller was critically injured after being struck by a vehicle while trying to cross the street Friday afternoon in north Santa Maria.

Just before 3 p.m., members of the Santa Maria Police and Fire departments along with an America Medical Response ambulance crew were dispatched to the incident at the intersection of North Broadway and Fesler Street for a report of a traffic collision involving a pedestrian.

The 30-year-old woman pushing a young child in a stroller tried to cross Broadway on the west side of the intersection, Sgt. Shane Armstrong said.

At the same time, an 18-year-old Santa Maria resident driving a vehicle stopped in an eastbound lane of Fesler Street began making a right-hand turn onto Broadway and struck both pedestrians, Amstrong added.

The mother and child received major injuries and were taken to Marian Regional Medical Center.

“Tragically, the child was later pronounced deceased at the hospital,” Armstrong said Friday night. “The mother also sustained major injuries; however, the full extent of her injuries is not known at this time.”

The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with officers investigating the incident, police said. Drugs and alcohol do not appear to be contributing factors in the collision at this time.

Officers from the Police Department’s Traffic Bureau were continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Additional information, including names of those involved, were not released.

This story was originally published March 14, 2026 at 12:02 PM with the headline "Child in stroller dies after being hit by car on Central Coast street."