Halloween night safety: what valley drivers and parents should know

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) - With children expected to fill neighborhood streets for Halloween, California Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to slow down and watch carefully for trick-or-treaters.

The warning hits close to home in the Coachella Valley. On Oct. 31, 2007, 13-year-old Crystal Delgado was hit and killed while crossing near Vista Chino and Landau Boulevard in Cathedral City.

In a 2016 KESQ report revisiting the tragedy, a Valley resident who remembered the crash said the children were wearing dark costumes and were difficult for drivers to see.

That detail underscores why visibility is an important part of Halloween safety, especially when children are walking near traffic after dark.

CHP Officer David Torres says drivers should be especially alert in residential neighborhoods and avoid distractions behind the wheel.