Young boy dies in hospital three days after fiery crash

A 4-year-old boy who was critically injured in a vehicle collision on U.S. Highway 101 in Marin County Wednesday died at a hospital Saturday, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.

The boy, his 7-year-old sister and his mother were traveling in a Toyota 4Runner north on the highway north of St. Vincent Drive on the Novato-San Rafael border around 8 a.m., CHP Officer Andrew Barclay said. The mother, a 39-year-old El Sobrante woman, was driving at a high rate of speed in a left curve in the road when the Toyota struck the center divider, crossed all lanes of the highway, hit the left rear of another vehicle and went down a hill on the side of the road, Barclay said. The Toyota caught fire but three witnesses stopped and freed all three of the occupants from the Toyota, Barclay said.

The children were taken to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland and the mother was taken to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. Barclay said the 7-year-old girl was recovering well and the mother also is expected to recover.

The Toyota was engulfed in flames and investigators believe the mother and children were wearing seatbelts.

Barclay said Monday:

“Without the Good Samaritans, all three occupants would have burned to death.”

The CHP initially said the children were 3 and 6 years old.