After the hit-and-run death of a two-year-old child prompted a search for the driver of a white car, an arrest has been made. However, the arrestee wasn't the driver of the vehicle that struck the little girl: it was her caretaker.
As previously reported, SF toddler Mi'yana Gregory was struck and killed by a driver while in the crosswalk on Mission Street between 4th and 5th Streets at 10:37 p.m. Friday night.
According to information released by the San Francisco Police Department, however, her aunt might bear some of the responsibility in the child's death.
SFPD spokesperson Officer Albie Esparza says that Mi'yana Gregory was in the care of her aunt, 25-year-old Loyresha Gage, when Gage tried to lead Gregory and her twin brother into the crosswalk, even though they had a do-not-walk signal and oncoming traffic was approaching.
"The pedestrian signal at this location was, and remains, in working order," Esparza says.
Gage walked Mi'yana into the middle of the street, then walked back to the curb to retrieve her brother. It was then that the white car, which had the green light, struck and killed the toddler, Esparza says.
"We don’t know why [Gage] made this decision,” to leave a two-year-old in the crosswalk on notoriously-busy Mission Street, Esparza told KPIX.
Gage has since been arrested for felony child endangerment as, as Esparza told KTVU, "The investigation showed some evidence that there was some child neglect that resulted in the death of the 2-year old toddler."
Gage, however, was not driving the vehicle that hit Gregory, killed her, then drove away, nor has that driver come forward following the significant amount of press coverage of the collision.
The vehicle, which police describe as a four-door, white Camry, Honda, or Lexus (note: SFist commenters firmly believe that the car is a Lexus) from the mid 90s with a dark colored mismatched front bumper and dark or black rims appears in the photo above. If you know who owns it, or have any other information regarding the collision, please contact SFPD at 415-575-4444.
