Oakland, CA (August 6, 2026) – An Oakland woman in her early 30s remains in intensive care with severe head injuries and internal bleeding after a car allegedly stolen by two young children struck her while she walked a friend’s dog, family members said.
Relatives identified the victim as Kiara Darvonne Bowling, an event planner and pageant competitor who had been preparing to attend law school. Her aunt said Bowling is fighting for her life at Highland Hospital.
The crash happened on the morning of August 6, near the intersection of 35th and Mangels Avenue in East Oakland. Surveillance video showed Bowling walking the dog moments before a white Toyota struck her, family members said.
Police, witnesses, and people who know the family said the vehicle was being driven by two siblings who live several blocks from the crash site. A source with knowledge of the investigation confirmed the children are 6 and 4 years old. Witnesses described the boys as small for their age.
Both children were treated and are in stable condition. Police said the children’s parents are cooperating with the investigation. No charges had been announced as of this report, and legal analysts noted that prosecuting the parents criminally is considered unlikely given the circumstances described.
The dog Bowling was walking survived the crash and is expected to recover.
This is a developing story. Details may change as the investigation continues.
Pedestrian Accidents in Oakland, California
When a car strikes someone on foot, California law looks past who was behind the wheel to who put that vehicle on the road in the first place. That question matters even more here, since the drivers are too young to be held liable themselves.
- Who may be liable: the registered owner of the vehicle, under California’s permissive-use law, and anyone whose negligence gave the children access to the car
- What attorneys and investigators examine: how the vehicle was accessed, whether keys or a garage door were left reachable, and what insurance coverage applies to the vehicle itself
- Because the drivers are young children, a civil claim typically proceeds against the vehicle owner and their insurer rather than the children themselves
- California follows a pure comparative fault standard, so fault can be divided among responsible parties without barring recovery
Personal injury claims in California must generally be filed within two years of the date of the crash (CCP § 335.1). For this incident, that deadline falls on August 6, 2028.
Contact Our Stockton Personal Injury Lawyers
If a car someone else owns just hurt you or a loved one, you may be entitled to compensation even though the driver himself has nothing to pay you with. That’s the case our Stockton personal injury lawyers build, and it’s the kind of case that gets buried fast if no one moves on it.
Contact us now, before the vehicle’s owner and their insurer get their story straight. Evidence like key access, prior warnings, and insurance coverage disappears the longer this sits.
There’s no cost to find out where you stand. We work on contingency, so you pay nothing unless we win.
Call our Stockton office at 844-764-2596. We answer 24/7, and if you’d rather come in, we’re at 304 W Harding Way, Stockton.
