Child, 6, driving car with 4-year-old brother hits woman walking dog in Oakland

OAKLAND, Calif. – A woman is in critical condition after police said a child driving a car struck her while she was walking her dog in a marked crosswalk Thursday morning in Oakland.

The crash happened around 9:30 a.m. at the intersection of 35th and Mangels avenues. Police initially responded to a report of a vehicle striking a pedestrian.

When officers arrived, they found an injured woman in her 30s. She was taken to a local hospital, where she remains in critical condition, according to police. 

Children were inside vehicle

What we know:

Police said there were two children, both younger than 10, inside the car. One child was driving and the other was a passenger.

KTVU learned Friday that the children were 4 and 6-year-old boys.

A source close to the kids’ family told KTVU on Friday that the 6-year-old found the car keys in his dad’s pocket while his parents slept.

The 6-year-old then allegedly woke up his 4-year-old brother, before using a kitchen chair to reach and unlatch the front door.

The siblings then got into the car, a Toyota Camry, which their dad uses as an Uber driver, the source said.

Both children were taken to a local hospital and are in stable condition, police said.

Authorities said the child driving the vehicle lost control and struck the woman as she was walking a dog in a marked crosswalk.

Police on Thursday did not say how the children gained access to the vehicle.

Investigators have contacted the children’s parents, who are cooperating with the investigation.

Victim identified

What we know:

The woman, identified Friday by her sister as 31-year-old Kiara Darvonne, remains in the hospital with injuries to her brain and facial fractures, her sister said.

Darvonne was walking her friend’s emotional support dog when she was struck by the car.

The dog was hurt in the crash and ran off, though was later found and taken to the vet.

Undated photo of Kiara Darvonne, 31, who was injured after being hit by a car allegedly driven by a 6 year old and his 4 year old brother in Oakland on Aug. 6, 2026. (Photo: Family of Kiara Darvonne)

Video and aerial footage capture aftermath

Dig deeper:

Aerial footage from the scene showed a heavily damaged white sedan on the sidewalk surrounded by scattered chunks of broken concrete.

Surveillance video captured the moments before the crash. The footage appears to show the woman crossing the street with her dog before a white sedan enters the frame. The actual impact is not seen.

The investigation remains ongoing.