Toddler gets behind wheel of father's parked truck at gas pump, fatally striking 2-year-old: Police

An arrest has not been made in the incident, police said.

ByMeredith Deliso ABCNews logo
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Toddler behind wheel of truck fatally strikes 2-year-old: Police
An unattended 3-year-old was behind the wheel of a truck left running at a California gas station when the vehicle fatally struck a 2-year-old, authorities said.

An unattended 3-year-old was behind the wheel of a truck left running at a California gas station when the vehicle fatally struck a 2-year-old, authorities said.

The incident occurred Saturday in Woodland, in the Sacramento metropolitan area, police said.

The owner of the Dodge truck left the vehicle running while parked at a pump with his 3-year-old in a car seat and went into the gas station store, according to police. The 3-year-old then managed to get out of the car seat and into the driver's seat, according to police.

The Woodland Police Department has released this photo following a deadly truck collision at a gas station, March 16, 2024, in Woodland, Calif.
The Woodland Police Department has released this photo following a deadly truck collision at a gas station, March 16, 2024, in Woodland, Calif.
Woodland Police Department

"The truck began moving forward and it collided with a two-year-old child who was near a taco stand on the edge of the lot," the Woodland Police Department said in a statement Monday.

Officers responded to a report of a child hit by a vehicle around 3:46 p.m., police said. The 2-year-old was seated at a table when the collision occurred, police said. Family members transported the toddler to a hospital, where she died from her injuries, police said.

The 2-year-old was identified by officials and her family as Ailahni Sanchez Martinez, of Woodland. Her father, Sandro Sanchez, told Sacramento ABC affiliate KXTV that she was about to turn 3 in April.

Witnesses told police they saw the 3-year-old in the driver seat, Woodland Police Sgt. Richard Towle told KXTV.

A memorial to 2-year-old Ailahni Sanchez Martinez can be seen at a gas station in Woodland, California, after she was fatally struck by a truck on March 16, 2024.
A memorial to 2-year-old Ailahni Sanchez Martinez can be seen at a gas station in Woodland, California, after she was fatally struck by a truck on March 16, 2024.
KXTV

All parties involved have cooperated in the investigation, police said. An arrest has not been made, police said.

"We are working to ensure a thorough investigation is completed. This includes taking statements, analyzing evidence, reviewing video surveillance footage, creating scene diagrams, and completing investigative reports," police said. "We ask for the community's patience while this occurs."

The completed investigation will be forwarded to the local district attorney's office for review, police said.

A memorial to Ailahni has grown at the site of the collision, as her family is hoping for accountability.

"That person took a life from a little girl," Sanchez told KXTV. "His truck was supposed to be in off."