6-yr-old killed when mom and kids try to cross street, police say

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. - Forty-year-old Tanitza Ortega and her two daughters were crossing W. St. Petersburg Drive Saturday evening when they were hit by a Nissan Altima, investigators say.

Ortega of Spring Hill and her 10-year-old and 6-year-old daughters were all transported to the hospital, where detectives with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office say the 6-year-old was pronounced deceased.  The mom and her 10-year-old daughter were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Deputies say the driver of the Altima, 40-year-old Eric Hoppes, had the right-of-way.

They say the pedestrians were not in a designated crosswalk at the time and there are no traffic control devices at the nearby intersection with Bayview Boulevard.

Investigators also say speed and impairment do not appear to be factors in the crash.