In a tragic turn of events, two pedestrians have lost their lives in separate hit-and-run incidents, one in Orange and the other in Miami. In Orange, a suspect with a history of DUI convictions struck a pedestrian on Tuesday before fleeing the scene. According to CBS Los Angeles, the suspect, 31-year-old Jonathan Lopez, has four previous DUI convictions and was not legally allowed to drive.
The encounter with the pedestrian happened near N. Tustin Street and Palm Avenue at approximately 11:20 a.m. Found with significant damages to its front after about 10 minutes of the fatal incident, the suspect's Toyota drew the attention of an Orange Police Department detective who then engaged in a short pursuit. Lopez was arrested at Tustin Street and Adams Avenue, exhibiting "objective signs and symptoms of alcohol intoxication," as per a statement from the OPD.
Meanwhile, in Miami, law enforcement is investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash that took the life of an unidentified man in his 40s on Tuesday night. This incident occurred at the intersection of Southwest Eighth Avenue and Eighth Street, as reported by Local 10 News. Authorities say the victim was crossing Eighth Street improperly, which normally would not result in a citation, but the driver's decision to leave the scene has escalated to a criminal matter. The search for the Miami driver continues, and tips can be directed to Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers.
Back in Orange, the arrest record shows Lopez's repeated involvement with the law for DUI and other offenses. In a past plea deal which resulted in a 16-month jail sentence, child abuse and endangerment charges were dropped, stemming from an incident when two boys were in Lopez's car—yet his prior convictions from 2011, 2012, and 2015 remained unshaken. "A DUI driver that has shown that he will continue to drink and drive and drive without a license and be a danger to everyone out there on the road," Lieutenant Phil McMullin of the Orange Police lamented late Tuesday, according to CBS Los Angeles.
