A 5-year-old girl and her father were killed just minutes from reaching the New Year when a speeding driver struck their family's vehicle in South Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
A family of four, including a 2-year-old, was driving down Normandie Avenue at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday when a man speeding in an SUV ran through a stop sign on 60th Place and t-boned their car, according to LAPD’s South Traffic Division.
Witnesses told NBC4 the car spun twice before hitting a large steel gate to a parking lot. A man who lives two houses away said he tried to get the two children out of the back seat.
“I came out and tried pulling out the babies, and they were all jammed in. There was nothing we could do about it,” said the man, who did not want to be identified.
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Firefighters had to extract the family from the vehicle. They said the father died on impact and a 5-year-old girl died at the hospital. As of Monday, the mother remains in critical condition and the 2-year-old girl is in the pediatric intensive care unit, fighting for her life.
Surveillance video from a home on 60th Place, east of Normandie Avenue, showed the white SUV speeding down the street, followed by a red car. In cellphone video obtained by NBC4, the driver of the red car can be heard telling police that the SUV had been driving recklessly before the crash.
“He tried to smash through some side streets. He could not drive. He almost swerved against several cars,” she told officers. “He ran through multiple stop signs.”
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The lead detective with the LAPD's South Traffic Division confirmed alcohol was a factor in the accident.
Another neighbor described the crash he saw from his front porch, confirming the driver did not stop at the corner of 60th Place and attempted to drive straight across Normandie Avenue, hitting the family.
Police were still trying to identify the family on New Year's Day, stating they may have just purchased their car.
Another neighbor said she always parks where the white SUV stopped in the street. On New Year's Eve, however, she stayed late for prayer at church.
“One of the mothers at the church grabbed me. She walked me up to the front, she said ‘Come on, because we don't know what awaits you on the outside,’ and there it was,” she said referring to the accident, “It could’ve been us.”
She said her mother was also hit in the same intersection several years prior, and hasn’t driven since.
Several people who live in the neighborhood told NBC4 that accidents happen at the same intersection monthly and they are asking the city for a stoplight.
Police did not identify the driver of the SUV, but said he was also injured and taken to the hospital. The detective said he could face murder charges.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Officer Cha, Officer Kim, or Detective Moreno with South Traffic Division at 323-421-2500. You can also remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go to www.lacrimestoppers.org
