3-year-old fatally struck by car backing out of driveway near Elk Grove, CHP says
A 3-year-old girl was struck and killed by a car backing out of the driveway of a home near Elk Grove, said officials at the California Highway Patrol’s South Sacramento office.
The family of young Aella Vargas remembered the 3-year-old as a “beautiful and bright soul,” describing their heartbreak at the sudden tragedy Sunday afternoon.
“Our family is heartbroken and left with an enormous void,” said Aella’s uncle, Ricardo Ochoa Jr., in introducing a GoFundMe campaign launched for Vargas’ family. “At only three years old, Aella never had the chance to experience all the beauty and joy that life had to offer.”
As of 2:30 p.m. Monday, $1,540 had been raised toward a $5,000 goal. Services are planned for Sept. 20, according to the family.
The fatal collision happened about 3:40 p.m. at a home on rural Point Pleasant Road, about 10 miles southwest of Elk Grove. CHP officials said a 29-year-old woman was backing out of the driveway when she struck the girl as the child and a 33-year-old man were standing nearby behind the vehicle.
Family members called 911. Cosumnes Community Service District Fire Department crews responded to the scene, began lifesaving efforts and took her to a nearby hospital.
The girl died of her injuries at the hospital just before 4:30 p.m., the CHP said.
Neither alcohol nor drugs factored in the collision, said CHP officials. An investigation into the incident continues.
Family photos show a smiling Aella in a garden full of flowers as tall as her; beaming in a favorite flower-print dress; laughing on a family trip to the woods.
Ochoa recalled his niece’s “sweet charisma and joyful spirit.”
“She loved to dance, play with her farm animals and goof around with her brothers and sister,” he said. “Most of all, she loved being her sassy little self, a shining queen in her own right.”
This story was originally published September 8, 2025 at 10:16 AM.
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