LOS ANGELES, CA – A mother was killed and her 9-year-old daughter critically injured when an SUV, driven by a supposed DUI driver, hit them while they were sitting at a bus stop in South Los Angeles. Authorities have identified the mother as 26-year-old Alma Aragon.
The incident took place on Thursday afternoon, near the bus stop located on the 1700 block of West 83rd Street, at the intersection of Western Avenue. Aragon and her daughter were seated on the bench at the stop when the SUV crashed into them, according to the investigators from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
In the preliminary investigation, detectives found that a sedan had exited a liquor store parking lot and was hit by the speeding SUV. Following this collision, the SUV spun out of control and ran into the bus stop. Live aerial footage revealed the force of the impact moved the bench from the sidewalk onto the road.
Following the crash, Aragon, her daughter, and the alleged DUI driver were rushed to a local hospital. However, Aragon died from her injuries, LAPD confirmed. Her young daughter remains in critical condition.
“It’s looking right now like it’s going to take a miracle for this girl to (pull through),” Detective Ryan Moreno mentioned at a news conference on Friday.
Flowers and balloons were seen at the site of the crash, forming a makeshift memorial for the victims. The driver, whose identity has not been released, was apprehended and is facing possible manslaughter charges. After the incident, nearby resident Aaron Wilkins commented on the excessive speeding common on Western Avenue, saying, “Western is like a freeway.”