Police said Tuesday the victim in and Orange County hit-and-run was not in a crosswalk, and the driver might not have been at fault. But witnesses said the driver actually sped off after the accident and now could be facing manslaughter charges. Vikki Vargas reports for the NBC4 News at 5 & 6 on Dec. 1, 2015.
Family members on Tuesday mourned the loss of a 35-year-old construction worker killed in a hit-and-run crash.
Jorge Lopez Lobato was fatally struck early Sunday morning as he was walking west on First Street about 1:45 a.m. Someone in a Honda Accord struck him as he crossed the street outside of a crosswalk on his way home from a relative's house in Santa Ana. His body was thrown 100 feet.
"He was a people person," said Andrea Sanchez, his niece. "He liked to hang out with the rest of our family. He just enjoyed being in our company and we enjoyed having his company. He was just a very happy person."
Police said the car that struck Lobato had its driver's-side mirror cracked. It was found at the scene. Two more parts from under the hood were found in the street. Detectives have tied the pieces to a 2013 to 2015, four door, blue Honda Accord with extensive damage.
The collision occurred on the left side of the vehicle, toward the front, left side of the vehicle with such tremendous force something caught and ripped it off the car, said Corporal Matt Wharton, of the Santa Ana Police Department.
Lobato and his sister were walking home from a friend's house, but for whatever reason, she said, he chose not to drive. Police said he was not under the influence.
Lobato was the youngest of seven. His sisters think back on the last time they saw him, the words they exchanged and the knowledge he won't be back.
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Police are checking with body shops but say the damage to the car will be obvious, no front wheel well and missing mirror.
