Family Grieving Over Death Of 4-Year-Old Jayda Sanchez, Killed Friday In Harbor City Hit-And-Run

HARBOR CITY (CBSLA) - A deadly hit-and-run Friday night claimed the life of a 4-year-old girl, seriously injured her father and left her brother, who turns 5-years-old Sunday, fighting for his life in the hospital.

"My son, he's fighting for his life and my daughter lost hers," Adrianna Rodriguez, the children's mother, told CBSLA's Kandiss Crone.

Authorities said the deadly crash happened at about 8:20 p.m. near the intersection of Normandie and Vermont avenues. When officers arrived on the scene, they found one vehicle rolled over and three patients — two small children and an adult male — with serious injuries.

Jayda Sanchez, 4, lost her life. Her brother, Robby Sanchez, 5-years-old on Sunday, has undergone surgery and remains hospitalized. Robert Sanchez, the children's father is said to have suffered serious injuries.

Witnesses said a driver made an illegal u-turn in the intersection, causing the children's father, who was driving the pickup truck, to swerve, which caused the vehicle to flip and collide with a light pole. The driver who made the illegal u-turn fled the scene. Several good Samaritans rushed to help.

"There was about six or seven of us that pushed the car to pull the little girl from under it and once we pulled her from under and cleared her out, that's when the father became coherent," Vernell Mosley, one of those who rushed to help, said.

At the crash site on Vermont Avenue, flowers, candles and balloons surround a picture of Jayda Sanchez, the 4-year-old victim. Relatives tried to console themselves.

"She was born a premie, two months early" Jayda's mother said of her daughter. "Thirty-nine days in the hospital and this his how she gets..."

Jayda's sister, Jaylin Medina, said the little girl was a heartwarming sibling who loved to paint her nails, play with dolls and play with her cousins.

Her stepfather, Rudy Medina, talked about watching Jayda grow up, how as an infant she fought for her life in the NICU.

"And now I have to see this, her you know...and it just kills me," Medina said.

Devastated and heartbroken, Robby and Jayda's mother had a message for the driver that caused the deadly accident.

"Whoever did this, please come clean, turn yourself in. Took a poor innocent baby," she said.

The family has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help with funeral experiences for Jayda.

Authorities said that the driver who made the illegal u-turn didn't actually collide with the victim's vehicle, but still consider the case a hit-and-run because their actions led to the deadly crash and they did not stay at the scene to help.