Phoenix-area girl who fell out of van on Interstate 10 recovering swiftly

PHOENIX – A month after falling out of a minivan on a Phoenix-area freeway, a little girl will be going home soon from the hospital.

ABC15 reported recently that Saleen Gutierrez of Avondale has had multiple surgeries, including to her skull, but that doctors said the 8-year-old’s quick recovery was incredible.

Gutierrez fell out of her grandparent’s van April 8 on Interstate 10 near Miller Road in Buckeye coming back from California.

The Department of Public Safety said the vehicle had been going 75 mph at the time of the accident.

A passerby saw the child lying in the road and went back to help, calling authorities. Gutierrez was airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital in critical condition.

Capt. Tommy Taylor with Buckeye Fire Medical and Rescue said she had been unresponsive.

Her mother, Ana Caceres, told the station her girl had a blood clot in the brain and was in intensive care for a week.

“When she woke up she remembered us,” Caceres said.

The latest surgery was a success, she said.

Authorities determined that Gutierrez had unbuckled herself and accidentally opened the sliding door.

No criminal charges or citations were going to be recommended.

The family turned to GoFundMe to raise $2,000 to help cover costs. Gutierrez will have to undergo months of rehabilitation and therapy.

The account was created April 14 and at $1,330 as of Monday morning, was near its goal of $2,000.

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