One month after Kiara Bowling was struck by a car while walking a dog on an Oakland sidewalk, her family has the kind of update it once feared might never come: she is back on her feet. She is also speaking again.
Bowling, 31, survived a traumatic brain injury and is now relearning basic skills that came automatically before the Aug. 6 crash. Her aunt, Karon Markham, told ABC7 News the family did not know whether Bowling would survive the first month.
The crash happened near 35th and Mangels avenues as Bowling walked her best friend’s dog, Grizzly. Oakland police said the car was being driven by one child under 10 with another child under 10 riding as a passenger; family reporting later identified the pair as young brothers who had taken their parents’ car while the adults were asleep.
Bowling was critically injured, and witnesses performed CPR before paramedics arrived. A month later, her recovery has moved from whether she would survive to learning how to walk, speak, eat, color, and put a puzzle together again.
Small Steps
Embedded media follows; please allow a moment to load.
Markham told ABC7 that Bowling is able to speak and is moving forward, even if the pace can be frustrating for someone accustomed to an independent life. During a recent hospital visit, Bowling thanked nurses and the people supporting her recovery.
Before the crash, Bowling was finishing her final semester at Cal State East Bay and pursuing a path toward law school. Her family said she had recently completed a summer pre-law program and had been selected as Miss California Regency International 2026.
That future still matters to her family. So does the slower work happening now, one ordinary task at a time.
An Old Friend
One of the clearest signs of Bowling returning to herself came through Grizzly, the dog she had been walking when the car hit her.
The dog was also injured in the crash but survived. When Grizzly was brought to Bowling’s hospital room, Markham said Bowling recognized him and greeted him with, “hi, boy.”
Grizzly is recovering as well, according to the family.
The Long Road
Bowling’s progress is substantial, but the recovery is not close to finished. ABC7 reported that doctors expect recovery from her traumatic brain injury could take about two years.
Her aunt has organized a GoFundMe to help with medical bills, therapy, transportation, and other care tied to the crash.
The Oakland Police Department said the children’s parents are cooperating with the continuing investigation. Earlier NBC Bay Area reporting, citing police, said both children were hospitalized in stable condition after the crash.
Doctors told the family recovery from Bowling’s traumatic brain injury could take about two years.