Irvine mother could now face charges after toddler was struck and killed by Amazon truck

Toddler struck and killed by Amazon truck. Who is to blame?

An Irvine toddler was struck and killed by an Amazon truck last year. The family and attorney say Amazon isn't taking responsibility, but FOX 11 has now learned that the mother could face charges.

IRVINE, Calif. - In August of 2022, a two-year-old girl was struck and killed by an Amazon delivery truck in her apartment complex. The family's lawyer says Amazon is denying any wrongdoing and refusing to take responsibility for the deadly crash.

According to AlderLaw, the Amazon truck was being driven by an 18-year-old who was talking on his phone and had packages on the dashboard, obscuring his vision, when he ran over and killed the little girl who was playing outside in front of her mother and 10-year-old brother.

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"We asked Amazon to we to accept responsibility for a clearly negligent driver, they said it is not our responsibility. We have hired a third party show company," attorney Michael Alder said during a press conference Friday.

According to Alder, Amazon is also refusing to provide any documents or witnesses without a confidentiality agreement and protective order.

An Amazon spokesperson said the company does not comment on active litigation.

However, in a major twist, investigators with the Irvine Police Department recommend filing criminal charges against the mother, not the driver. Aided by multiple cameras on Amazon vans, police concluded the toddler was left alone, out of the mother's sight, and the driver, as he said, never saw her.

The case was submitted to the Orange County District Attorney's office last December.

Alder said he had no idea of the potential criminal case against the mother; he is a civil attorney, not a criminal defense attorney.