The crash happened Tuesday afternoon on the southbound lanes of the Highway 99 near Avenue 12.
Investigators say the driver should not have been behind the wheel. Authorities say six-year-old Kilia Flores' life was cut short when the Chevy Aveo she was riding in lost control.
"The driver that was seriously injured made an erratic movement at 65 mph, lost control of the vehicle; the vehicle left the roadway and overturned."
The Chevy was going southbound on Highway 99 when it lost control passing a truck. It went through a barbed-wire fence ending on its side in the grapevine.
Investigators say the six-year-old girl was strapped properly into her booster seat but the collision was just too severe.
Her mother, Frances Flores, and 13-year-old brother were also seriously injured and taken to Community Regional Medical Center. The 13-year-old boy had to be flown to the hospital.
Investigators are still working to determine what caused Flores to lose control.
The family was heading home to Reedley from a cousin's funeral in Madera. Flores admitted to drinking earlier in the day.
"We do know that were was some consumption of an alcoholic beverage, but to what level, we don't know."
Investigators say they will be reviewing toxicology reports to determine her exact blood alcohol level.
But they say Flores should not have been behind the wheel. She was driving on a suspended license from probation violations stemming from a DUI back in 2007.
Investigators say it may take several weeks before they get the toxicology report.
