A 9-year-old girl hiked a steep embankment in darkness early Sunday to get help after the sport utility vehicle she and her father were travelling in crashed and rolled into an embankment, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The girl’s father, 35, was driving southbound on a semi-rural stretch of the Sierra Highway in Acton at 2 a.m. when the crash happened, according to the CHP collision report. The girl's father died at the scene.
The Ford Escape skidded down a dirt embankment, rolling numerous times before coming to rest near Soledad Canyon Road, officials said.
The 9-year-old girl left the car after the crash and went in search of aid.
She hiked "difficult terrain" in a "threatening environment" for about a mile before knocking on the door of a home, but no one answered, the collision report noted. She continued her trek and ultimately flagged down a passing car.
It was not immediately known why the driver lost control, but California Highway Patrol officials suspect that alcohol may have been involved. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
The driver’s daughter was transported to Children's Hospital Los Angeles for minor injuries, according to the report.
The girl’s condition was not immediately known Sunday, a CHP official told NBCLA.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.