4-Year-Old Loses Arm in SUV Crash

A 4-year-old girl in a sport utility vehicle driven by her father was critically injured Sunday when the vehicle overturned on the Garden Grove Freeway, authorities said.

California Highway Patrol officials said the westbound white Toyota 4Runner flipped onto its side after swerving into the center divider near Beach Boulevard about 12:40 p.m.

The girl, who neither wore a seat belt nor was restrained in a child safety seat, had her arm severed at the shoulder when it became pinned under the truck, authorities said. The girl’s name was not released.

State law requires that children under 5 be strapped into a safety seat while riding in a motor vehicle, CHP Sgt. Dwight Howard said.

Both the driver and his wife were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident, CHP officials said.

The girl was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange. David Dung Pham, 33, identified by hospital officials as the girl’s father, was not injured in the crash.

Minh Nguyen, 32, identified as the girl’s mother, was treated for minor injuries at the hospital and released.

Authorities said the family lives in Bell Gardens.

The cause of the accident is under investigation, Howard said.