Bellevue, WA : 2-year-old girl in stroller struck and killed in multi-vehicle crash near 140th Avenue NE and Bel-Red Road on Tuesday morning, Sep 29, 2015

A 2-year-old girl in a stroller was struck and killed in a crash involving three vehicles Tuesday morning near a Bellevue intersection, police said.

Officers and medics responded to the scene, near 140th Avenue NE and Bel-Red Road, at about 10:20 a.m. after receiving reports of a serious multi-vehicle crash, said Seth Tyler of the Bellevue police.

A 28-month-old girl in a stroller was hit by one of the vehicles and was pronounced dead at the scene, said Bellevue Police Chief Steve Mylett. He said the toddler was with her 25-year-old mother, waiting on the sidewalk to cross the street.

"They were just minding their own business," he said.

The circumstances leading to the crash are under investigation.

So far, police have determined that a 1999 Dodge Durango driven by a 29-year-old Kirkland woman was traveling south on 140th Avenue. A 2011 Nissan Sentra driven by a 43-year-old Bellevue man made a left turn from the northbound left-turn lane of 140th Avenue and was struck by the Durango.

The Sentra careened onto the sidewalk in the crash and hit the stroller.

The drivers of the two cars sustained minor injuries and were taken to Overlake Hospital to be checked out. Drugs or alcohol were not a factor in the crash, Mylett said.

He said the first officer on the scene tried to save the little girl's life, but she was too badly injured.

"I don't know any officer that wouldn't do anything to save a life, especially the life of a child," Mylett said. "The officer tried, but the damage to the child's body was so extensive it was a futile effort."

He added: "I want to extend my condolences to the family (of the little girl). The death of an innocent child is truly a tragedy."

An SUV was also hit in the crash.

Scott Kring witnessed the accident, though he remembers hearing the collision more than seeing it.

"There was a loud crash of metal on metal, followed by shattered glass," said Kring. "What was weird for me there was a second of dead silence then the screaming started."

A Metro bus was nearby but was not involved in the crash. It remained at the crash scene so that investigators could interview passengers who witnessed the crash.

Some parents who use the crosswalk regularly wondered about the intersection's safety.

Sahari Torres says it could have been her with her kids -- she's often crossing the street with her one children and the kids she works as a nanny for.

"That's the thing I'm scared of I'm always making sure they are right next to me a lot of things can happen in the blink of an eye," said Torres.

Bel-Red Road was closed for several hours during the accident investigation and cleanup, but has now reopened.

Source:

Toddler in stroller killed in Bellevue multi-vehicle crash