Mother and young girl killed in Southeast Fresno crash
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A mother and daughter are dead after a violent crash in Downtown Fresno Sunday night. The victims have been identified as 24-year-old Tamara Ragosta and her three-year-old daughter, Destiny Richardson.
A business alarm brought Fresno Police officers to a commercial building and crash.
The black compact car ruptured a gas line as it darted into a roll-up door and then a building.
"There's definitely some speed involved. Coming off the roadway. There is a bend in the roadway there on Los Angeles from Broadway where she was heading west on Los Angeles," said Fresno Police Lieutenant Mark Hudson.
Family members say Ragosta is from Hemet but was in town the past few days visiting destiny's father. Firefighters on the scene found Ragosta dead, and her little girl was suffering from major head trauma. She was in a car seat in the back seat. It's unclear what may have caused the crash.
Hudson said, "There's obviously possibilities that are going to occur that they are going to investigate to determine if it was under the influence, unfamiliar with the roadway, mechanical, maybe she suffered a medical emergency or if it was intentional. All of those possibilities will come out through the investigation, and then we'll get an understanding of why this occurred."
Family friends say Ragosta loved to make her family and friends laugh, and her radiant smile was not only memorable but also contagious.
Toxicology tests were also taken and will be included in the crash report.
It could take weeks before a final crash cause has been determined.
