A 31-year-old California woman who suffered a traumatic brain injury after being struck by a car allegedly driven by two young brothers is slowly relearning some of life’s most basic skills.
Kiara Bowling was walking her friend’s dog, Grizzly, in Oakland at around 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 6 when she was hit from behind by a vehicle reportedly being driven by two brothers, ages 4 and 7.
The crash left Bowling critically injured with a traumatic brain injury, broken ribs, a facial fracture and severe memory loss.
More than a month later, her family says she still has no memory of the crash.
But there have been encouraging signs.
Bowling recently took her first steps since the accident and has also learned how to swallow and eat solid food again.
“She is now able to eat solid foods. She has learned to swallow,” her aunt, Karon Markham, said. “She’s working on a puzzle, and she’s learning to color.”
Still, the road ahead could be extremely long.
“She has a long way to go,” Markham said.
Doctors have reportedly told the family they do not yet know whether Bowling will ever regain the ability to live completely on her own. Her recovery could take years.
“We’re leaning on our faith that that will happen,” her aunt said.
One of the most heartbreaking effects of Bowling’s brain injury involves her memory.
She has been asking relatives about her mother and brother, apparently unaware that both died in recent years.
Her family has chosen not to remind her of their deaths for now, fearing the emotional shock could interfere with her recovery.
A neuropsychologist is expected to test Bowling to determine how much of her long-term memory remains intact.
Bowling knows that she was involved in a crash, but her understanding of what happened changes.
At one point, she reportedly told her aunt, “Two children stole my car and they hit me with my own car.”
About 15 minutes later, she remembered the story differently and said the children had taken their parents’ car and struck her with it.
Oakland Police previously said the vehicle driven by the children sideswiped another car traveling in the opposite direction before losing control.
The vehicle then struck Bowling while she was in a crosswalk walking Grizzly.
Bowling and both children were taken to the hospital. She was initially listed in critical condition, while the boys were reported to be in stable condition.
According to Markham, investigators told the family that the children had taken their parents’ car keys while the adults were sleeping.
The boys then allegedly climbed out a window and drove away in the vehicle.
Investigators also reportedly told the family that the children’s parents wanted to speak with them.
But Bowling’s relatives have been focused on her recovery and have not yet had that conversation.
“We’ve been so busy and wrapped up in what’s going on with Kiara, we just don’t have the time,” Markham said.
Her aunt said she still has serious questions about how two children so young were able to get the keys and drive away without their parents realizing what was happening.
“There’s pieces of the puzzle that just don’t fit,” she said.
Markham said investigators also planned to examine the vehicle’s black box as part of their investigation.
Oakland Police did not provide an update this week on the status of the case.
Before the crash, Bowling was building an impressive future for herself.
She had been crowned Miss California Regency International 2026 and was living independently in Oakland.
Over the summer, she completed an intensive virtual pre-law program through Harvard University and was preparing to finish her final semester at California State University, East Bay, in December.
Bowling dreamed of becoming a lawyer.
A former foster child herself, she had also become an advocate for children. Just before the crash, Bowling told her aunt she wanted to collect backpacks and school supplies for children in need before the start of the new school year.
She had been scheduled to give up her pageant crown in February.
Now, her family’s focus is entirely on helping her regain the life she had before the accident.
Markham has launched a GoFundMe to help pay for Bowling’s medical expenses and the extensive treatment she is expected to need as her recovery continues.