Oakland woman fights for her life after car crash involving driver under 10 years old

An Oakland woman remains in intensive care with severe head injuries and internal bleeding after a car allegedly stolen by two young boys crashed into her as she walked a dog Thursday morning, family members said.

The victim, identified by relatives as Kiara Darvonne Bowling, is in her early 30s and works as an event planner and competes in pageants. Her aunt said Bowling remains in the ICU at Highland Hospital and is fighting for her life.

Surveillance video shows Bowling walking a friend's dog shortly before a white Toyota struck her.

"I was very shocked because I didn't believe it was my cousin," said Princess Davis, Bowling's cousin.

Davis said she is upset that two children were able to take their parents' car and drive away, ultimately causing the crash.

"Where were the parents? The parents should have been more accountable," Davis said.

The crash happened Thursday morning near the intersection of 35th and Mangels Avenue in East Oakland. Police, witnesses and people who know the two siblings said the boys are under 10 years old and live several blocks from the crash site.

A store clerk who works near the boys' home said he knows the boys and describes them as well-behaved children who typically visit the store with their parents.

"They are nice kids. They come here with their parents.  They usually come here to get some snacks," said the clerk, who identified himself as Ali. "The youngest one is 4 and the oldest one is probably around 6 or 7. I was just surprised because I never thought that they would ever do something like that."

Witness Lavelle Shah-Marquis also described the approximate ages and sizes of the two boys.

"The oldest one wasn't any taller than middle torso to me, and the youngest one was literally hip size," Shah-Marquis said.

The circumstances present unusual legal questions because of the boys' young ages, said Steven Clark, a legal analyst and former prosecutor.

"This is such a bizarre case. Our legal system is not equipped to deal with it when you think of the age of these children that were involved in this case. You can't put a juvenile this young in custody," Clark said.

Clark said that despite the severity of the crash, it is unlikely the parents will face criminal charges based on the circumstances described.

"Every parent is likely to just leave their keys on the table and go take a nap. So are we going to put adults in jail for child endangerment under those facts?" Clark said.

Bowling's family said the injuries could change her life permanently. Relatives said she had been pursuing pageant competitions and was preparing to attend law school.

Davis asked the public to keep Bowling in their thoughts as she undergoes treatment.

"Continue to pray for her and hope she can pull through the surgery," Davis said.

The family plans to establish an online fundraiser to help cover Bowling's long-term medical expenses, relatives said.

The dog Bowling was walking survived the crash and is expected to be OK.

The two boys were also in stable condition. Police said their parents are cooperating with the investigation.