Irvine Police Department officers and Orange County Fire Authority firefighters were summoned to the scene just after 3:30 p.m. in the 300 block of Estancia, near Hicks Canyon Park, on reports of a collision. They arrived to find the girl deceased in the parking lot of an apartment community, according to a police statement.
[Ads /]
Those who know the family say the girl was the youngest of four happy siblings.
According to the news release, the Amazon van was operated by a third-party contractor and "drugs or alcohol do not appear to be a factor" in the collision. No arrest or citation was announced.
"The driver himself he was also devastated," witness David Reyes said. "He was choked up ... he was literally choking -- it sounded like he wanted to vomit."
Further details about the circumstances of the collision were not immediately available.
[Ads /]
News video from the scene showed a blue Amazon van hooked up to a tow truck as investigators collected evidence at the scene.
Neighbors say they've complained several times to management about visibility in the apartment community's outdoor areas and about speeding cars.
They say hedges have been trimmed down, but they haven't seen the bumps and parking lot signage they've requested.
The Irvine Company, which owns the Estancia Apartment Homes, said in a statement that their thoughts are with the family and they're cooperating with police.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Irvine police Detective Christopher Ostrowski at (949) 724-7047 or email him at costrowski@cityofirvine.org.