Palo Alto rollover crash sends mother, children to hospital

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- A rollover crash in downtown Palo Alto near Cogswell Plaza this afternoon sent a woman and her two young children to the hospital, a police

sergeant said.

Around 4:45 p.m., a Volvo SUV traveling west on Lytton Avenue was about to make a left turn to Bryant Street but instead proceeded straight and sideswiped a Lexus SUV going in the same direction, Sgt. Wayne Benitez said.

The Lexus rolled over one-and-a-half times and struck a traffic light post before coming to rest on its side, Benitez said.

A husband and wife in their mid-30s were in the Lexus with their two young children ages 3 and 1, he said.

The wife was transported to a hospital for minor injuries including abrasions to her neck and shoulder from the seatbelt, Benitez said.

The children were also transported to a hospital for precautionary reasons, according to Benitez.

The husband was not injured in the crash, he said.

A couple in their early 50s was in the Volvo and uninjured, Benitez said.

No pedestrians were injured and nearby buildings were not damaged by the crash, he said.

Lytton Avenue was closed between Bryant and Ramona streets for about an hour for emergency vehicles and tow trucks to clear the scene.

The accident comes days after another car crash that happened a few blocks away at University Caf at 271 University Ave., police said.

On Thursday, a man in his 90s accidentally accelerated his vehicle and struck a parked car before driving into the building around 12:35 p.m., according to police.

The elderly man and four pedestrians suffered minor injuries and a fifth pedestrian was critically injured, police said.