A 41-year-old Arcata woman, who was tragically struck by a vehicle while pushing her 2-year-old child in a stroller across a designated Arcata crosswalk on St. Louis Ave. on Jan. 22, has died, the Arcata Police Department confirmed today.

While the investigation is ongoing, APD Lt. Todd Dokweiler told the Outpost that the evidence suggests that the mother, Jennifer Garcia (as mentioned in her GoFundMe page), was using the crosswalk near the Janes Creek Subdivision at approximately 12:45 p.m., when an inattentive driver failed to yield and struck the Garcia, causing life-threatening injuries.

“The victim was transported to the hospital and ultimately did succumb to her injuries about a week later,” Dokweiler said.

The driver, an unnamed 29-year old man from Arcata, remained on scene and has reportedly been cooperative with officers throughout the investigation. 

The driver is not believed to have been under the influence at the time of the crash, and no charges have been filed against the driver at this time.

The infant involved in the collision reportedly suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene before being released to their father. While the exact details remain uncertain, Dokweiler said that evidence suggests that Garcia may have used her final healthy moments to push her child out of harm’s way.

“Witnesses and physical evidence indicate that the mother was able to get the stroller out of the roadway enough that the child wasn’t more seriously injured,” Dokweiler said.

The GoFundMe page, previously set up to raise funds for Garcia’s medical expenses has since raised more than $32,000.

“We received an update from Jenn’s husband last night,” the GoFundMe page stated on Monday. “Sadly, her injuries were just too much, and she left us last evening. She is at peace and dancing with us in spirit now. Her family is heartbroken as you can imagine. Please continue to keep Jenn and [her family] in your thoughts and prayers.”