A couple was arrested Monday for a wrong-way hit-and-run crash that killed an 11-year-old girl and left her father hospitalized in Los Angeles County.
The suspects were identified as Priscilla Marie Cornejo, 39, and her husband Johnathan David Cornejo, 33, by California Highway Patrol.
The couple was arrested for their alleged involvement in a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred on the 60 Freeway, near Crossroads Parkway on March 22, 2023.
Priscilla was driving in a sedan going westbound on the 60 Freeway as she was being followed by her husband who was driving a pickup truck.
Around 4:06 a.m., Priscilla collided with the rear end of a tractor-trailer vehicle while driving, said CHP. The impact caused the tractor-trailer to jack-knife while spinning Priscilla’s sedan around until it stopped facing the wrong direction (eastbound) in the westbound lanes.
Johnathan, who witnessed the collision, made a U-turn on the freeway and followed Priscilla as both vehicles began driving the wrong way, authorities said. Priscilla did not have her headlights on during this time.
A few minutes later, as the couple continued driving the wrong way, Priscilla crashed head-on into another sedan carrying an 11-year-old girl and her father, Rafael Zarate.
The collision killed the young girl on impact and left her father with significant injuries, said CHP. After the crash, Priscilla abandoned her car and hopped into her husband’s truck before the couple drove away.
On April 3, investigators tracked down and located the couple at their Arcadia home and placed them under arrest. Both suspects are being held on $1 million bail as the investigation continues.