Mesa police said a young girl was hit by a vehicle and killed in southeast Mesa on Dec. 26 as she and her family crossed the street.
Sgt. Richard Encinas of the Mesa Police Department said at about 9:30 p.m., 5-year-old Ariyah Marie Elias was crossing the street with her mother and five other children near the intersection of Hawes and Guadalupe roads when Ariyah was struck by a vehicle.
Police arrived at the scene and attempted to provide “lifesaving measures” before the child was taken to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The mother and the five other neighborhood children ages 8 to 14 were uninjured in the crash, according to Encinas.
The preliminary police investigation revealed the group was in the crosswalk, on east Guadalupe at South Hawes Road, on the west side of the intersection, according to Encinas.
Encinas said the group reportedly entered the intersection while northbound and southbound traffic had the green light. However, as they were crossing, the light changed to green for eastbound and westbound traffic.
A westbound vehicle on Guadalupe Road entered the intersection on a green light and struck the child. According to Encinas, the driver reportedly did not see the group until the vehicle was already in the intersection, making it impossible to stop in time to avoid hitting Ariyah.
“We understand this is a heartbreaking incident for the community, and our thoughts are with the family and everyone impacted,” Encinas wrote in an email.
Encinas on Saturday said an investigation into the crash remained ongoing and that no charges have been filed.
A GoFundMe for the family reached the halfway mark to its goal of $20,000 to support the funeral services for Ariyah. The fundraiser listed the funeral for the 5-year-old as Jan. 8.
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Reach the reporter at reynaldo.covarrubias@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Here’s what we know after a 5-year-old girl was hit, killed in Mesa