Following an highway crash in Southern California which left the driver dead, his daughter, 9, managed to wrangle herself out of the SUV and walked a mile in the middle of the night in a dangerous area in search for help.
Alejandro Renteria was on his way home with his daughter around 1 a.m. Sunday when their car veered off Sierra Highway in Acton, Southern California, according to KTLA 5. The 9-year-old girl, Celia Renteria suffered just minor bruises and a cut to the face. She managed to extricate herself out of the window of the wrecked Ford Escape. According to the report, smelled gasoline and turned off the engine.
"She was very courageous, being able to walk through the dark, through bushes and very rough terrain to get help for her dad," said California Highway Patrol Officer Gil Hernandez. "Had she just waited there, we probably would not have found her until the next day."
The girl told police that her father failed to navigate a steep curve in the road. She trekked around 1 and a half to 2 miles, Hernandez said.
"She walked quite a distance in a very, very threatening environment," CHP Sgt. Tom Lackey told KABC-TV. "It's very steep and it's brushy and there were also coyotes in the background."
Authorities suspect alcohol played a role in the crash and said the girl told them she and her father had been returning home from a party.
The girl was taken to Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. She suffered minor bruises, and will remain under observation until Tuesday.
