Girl, 6, killed in fiery crash on Capital City Freeway in Sacramento identified by coroner

A girl died after suffering major injuries in a crash Thursday that started a grass fire and created extensive traffic delays along the Capital City Freeway in Sacramento, the California Highway Patrol said Friday.

The two-vehicle crash was reported about 2:30 p.m. on the southbound lanes of the freeway at the Watt Avenue overpass, near Del Paso Regional Park, according to the CHP.

The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office identified the girl as Isabella Pantoja, 6. She was pulled out of the wreck before one of the vehicles, a Volkswagen Jetta, caught fire.

Isabella was taken to a hospital where she later died, according to CHP North Sacramento spokesman Officer Justin Fetterly. The Volkswagen’s driver, the girl’s father, was also taken to the hospital.

Fetterly said it wasn’t immediately clear how the Volkswagen crashed. Photos of the crash showed the sedan went off the freeway and struck the post of a large road sign.

A GoFundMe created by a close family friend requested donations to help with funeral expenses and hospital bills.

Battalion Chief Parker Wilbourn, a spokesman for the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, said flames from the burning vehicle spread to the grass. He said firefighters quickly contained the grass fire.

Shortly before 3 p.m., Caltrans reported traffic was backed up on the Capital City Freeway with only one open southbound lane toward downtown Sacramento. At that point, the stalled traffic was stretched back to Madison Avenue on westbound Interstate 80.

Shortly after 4 p.m., CHP dispatch records indicated one of the lanes was expected to remain closed until about 8 p.m. Thursday as authorities worked at the scene. Around 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Caltrans roadside cameras showed traffic remained snarled and moving slowly through the area.

All lanes have since reopened.

The Bee’s Ishani Desai contributed to this story.