A 9-year-old child was tragically killed and a teenager was hospitalized after an RV struck them in Koreatown, an incident that unfolded on the evening of Thursday, according to law enforcement authorities. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) arrived at the 350 block of South New Hampshire Avenue around 7:30 p.m., where the collision had occurred, KTLA reports.
Details from the LAPD confirmed that the victims, brothers, were riding scooters when the RV, operated by a driver now suspected of DUI, careened into them; the older brother, 19, was subsequently transported to a hospital and remains in stable condition after the younger child was pronounced dead at the scene, CBS Los Angeles notes. A resident, Candy Williams, stated that the boys were often seen in the neighborhood riding their scooters or bikes, conveying the familiarity of their presence in the area, which had been shattered in a single tragic moment.
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) also responded to the incident, which they designated as Auto Vs Pedestrian; INC#1418, and those seeking more information about the conditions at the scene or the transportation of the victims were referred to the LAPD's incident report for details, according to an LAFD alert. The department verified the event and confirmed that, besides the tragic fatality, one patient, whose specific details weren't disclosed, was being transported to the hospital.
Officers were also observed administering a breathalyzer test to the male driver of the RV before he was handcuffed and placed into a patrol car, hinting at the suspicion of driving under the influence, which LAPD later confirmed when they arrested him; this, according to the initial information provided from the scene by KTLA. The identities of the young victims and the suspect have not been disclosed to the public at this time, and the police investigation into the incident continues to shed light on the circumstances that led to this tragedy.
