Toddler Killed By Improperly Installed Child Safety Seat

A 16-month-old girl killed in a crash on eastbound Interstate 10 in Palm Springs was in a child safety seat that was not properly installed, a California Highway Patrol officer said today.

Evelyn Giselle Pinto of Phoenix, Ariz., was thrown from a pickup truck when the rear tire blew out, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle, which slammed into the center divider about 11:20 a.m. Sunday, said California Highway Patrol Officer John Quintero.

The toddler, who was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash near Indian Canyon Drive, had been strapped into a safety seat, but officers determined the seat was not properly belted into the truck, according to Quintero.

Three other people in the vehicle were unhurt, he said.