Three people died and two were injured, including a child, when a motorist suspected of DUI crashed in the San Gabriel Valley early Friday.
The violent collision occurred just after midnight when the driver slammed into multiple parked vehicles and a power pole on East Graves Avenue near Cecil Street in Monterey Park.
Officers patrolling the area responded to the scene after hearing the collision, Monterey Park Police Department Captain Bill Cuevas said.
A resident named Felix L. recalls hearing the deadly crash occur in the front yard of his home.
“I heard a large crash and it brought this gust of wind, dust and debris and this large sound just shook me out of bed immediately,” Felix recalled.
The driver was still conscious afterward and told officers there were five people in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
“One occupant was missing, so they started canvasing and they found the male adult on the roof of the house,” Cuevas said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The other two passengers killed in the crash, a man and a woman, were found inside the SUV. The victims killed were only identified as a woman in her 50s and two men in their 30s.
A 7-year-old girl, who was believed to be the only person wearing a seatbelt, was hospitalized along with the driver, who was her mother. Both had minor injuries, police said.
Manny Juarez was at a worksite nearby when he witnessed the paramedics helping the victims.
“The little girl was scared,” Juarez said. “She was really scared and she was shocked and she was crying.”
The cause of the crash remains under investigation but the driver is suspected of driving under the influence while speeding, police said. The driver was later arrested on suspicion of DUI.
“This is one of the more tragic crime scenes and accidents that we have had in a long time,” Cuevas said.
Loved ones were seen setting up a makeshift memorial at the crash site Friday afternoon. The victims’ identities were not released.
East Graves was shut down for about three blocks in both directions as officials examined the scene.
The crash remains under investigation. Anyone who may have witnessed the collision is asked to call Monterey Park Police at 626-307-1200