Black Woman Fighting For Her Life After Being Struck By a 6-Year-Old Driver

It started as a typical Thursday for Kiara Bowling, who was supposed to be taking a friend’s dog for a walk. Now, the 31-year-old beauty queen and law student is fighting for her life after a car driven by two young children slammed into her on a California sidewalk, according to a fundraiser for her recovery.

Bowling was struck Aug. 6 in East Oakland after a Toyota Camry sideswiped another vehicle and lost control, according to KTVU. Surveillance footage reportedly shows Bowling stepping off the curb moments before the crash.

The driver, according to Bay Area reports, was a 6-year-old boy. His 4-year-old brother was also in the vehicle. The children reportedly took their father’s car keys from his pockets while their parents were asleep, the New York Post reported. Somehow, they managed to get the family’s Toyota out of the house without being noticed. Their father is an Uber driver.

Both children were injured in the crash and taken to the hospital. The older child suffered two broken legs, while the younger boy sustained a concussion, the boys’ uncle told ABC7 Eyewitness News. Their parents are cooperating with the police investigation.

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However, Bowling’s road to recovery is expected to be more substantial.

She suffered multiple brain bleeds and facial fractures and has undergone multiple surgeries, according to her GoFundMe. She remains hospitalized at Highland Hospital. KTVU reported that she had begun responding to basic commands. Although that is a hopeful sign, her family says she remains in a fight for her life.

Her GoFundMe describes what comes next as a lifelong recovery, including continued medical care, physical therapy, transportation to appointments and potentially additional surgeries. As of Monday (Aug. 10), the fundraiser had collected nearly $72,000 toward its $90,000 goal.

But before Bowling’s life was impacted by the crash, she was building a future.

She is in her final semester at California State University, East Bay, and recently completed a summer program at Yale, PEOPLE reported. This year, Bowling was also selected as Miss California Regency International 2026. Now, instead of preparing for the next chapter, she’s facing months – and potentially years – of rehabilitation.

So what happens to the kids now?

For now, there is no indication that the boys have been criminally charged. KTVU’s legal analyst said California law generally presumes children under 12 are incapable of forming criminal intent, meaning the children are unlikely to face criminal charges.

The parents, however, could potentially face legal scrutiny, including questions about supervision, as investigators determine how the children gained access to the vehicle.

Bowling’s family, despite everything, says they aren’t blaming the children.

“There is no ill will,” her sister, Christina Blackmon, told KTVU. Bowling’s aunt, Karon Markham, said she holds no animosity toward the boys, but stressed that young children need to be supervised.

Markham said, “When you have young children, you should always be present, because young children are going to try anything and everything. What they see you do, they’re gonna try.”