A young father was killed in a fiery crash in South Gate over the weekend, and police say they’re investigating whether the car that struck him was racing another vehicle.
Daniel Guerrero, 23, left his Cudahy home alone Sunday evening to go buy diapers for his 5-month-old daughter Alyssa, according to Guadalupe Avina, Guerrero’s fiancee.
A short time later, around 7:45 p.m., Guerrero was involved in a crash on Firestone Boulevard just east of Alameda Street. The drivers of the two vehicles that collided, both the sole occupants, died at the scene, said South Gate police Lt. Roman Amador.
Avina said she didn’t want to believe it was true when she found out why Guerrero hadn’t returned from the store.
“He never came back,” she said. “I was calling him and he always answers his calls, and this time he didn’t.”
Witnesses told police one of the vehicles may have been racing prior to the crash, but the cause remains under investigation, Amador said.
But Avina says police told her a Dodge Charger and BMW were racing on the street when one of them lost control and smashed into Guerrero’s car, causing it to burst into flames.
“The BMW ran and the Charger blew up,” she said.
Family members say they now want justice, not just for Guerrero but also for his young daughter. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help raise money for Guerrero’s funeral.