Thomas Torres, 24, of Castaic, lost his left foot and leg in a Nov. 8 collision in Los Angeles involving a driver suspected of driving under the influence, KHTS reported. The report describes a serious injury and a substantial recovery ahead; the suspicion does not by itself establish the driver’s guilt or the circumstances of the collision.
What California’s DUI data shows
Statewide, alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities fell about 4.5%, from 1,419 in 2022 to 1,355 in 2023, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety. The measure counts deaths in crashes involving a driver or motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration of at least 0.08. It is fatality data—not a count of Los Angeles County injury crashes—and it does not establish what happened in Torres’ collision.
Other Los Angeles County cases show how different the outcomes of suspected DUI crashes can be, but they are examples, not evidence of a trend. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said four people died in a July 20, 2025, crash on the southbound 605 Freeway after a former CHP officer allegedly struck their car and a separate driver accused of DUI later hit it. In a distinct North Hollywood case, the office said a suspected DUI driver struck two pedestrians on April 12, 2026; both died, and the driver was charged with two counts of murder. Those fatal cases differ from the injury reported in Torres’ case and do not indicate its cause or legal outcome.
Recovery needs and possible support
According to KHTS, Torres will need further treatment, surgeries and rehabilitation, and will need to learn to walk with a prosthetic leg. His family has started a GoFundMe to help with medical care, rehabilitation and prosthetic-related costs, the station reported. The available account does not establish what other funding or insurance may be available to him.
One resource the family could investigate is the California Victim Compensation Board, which lists driving under the influence among covered crimes. Eligibility depends on the board’s criteria, so this is a possible avenue to explore—not confirmed assistance for Torres.
KHTS reported that Torres’ family is asking people who cannot donate to share the fundraiser. The report says he faces a long recovery, including rehabilitation and learning to use a prosthetic.
