A 55-year-old man was behind bars Tuesday on suspicion of driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter following a crash that killed a toddler who was sitting on a porch in Long Beach.
In addition to the 20-month-old girl who was killed, a 45-year-old woman and a second girl, 12, were also struck and injured in the crash, which happened at about 11:30 a.m. Monday in the 400 block of Maine Avenue when the driver of an SUV, identified as Lamont Ivan Russell of Long Beach, reversed into the group sitting on a porch.
The most seriously injured patient, the 20-month-old girl, was quickly driven to a hospital by Long Beach police, but died, police said. She was later identified by the Los Angeles County medical examiner as Myrah Hunter.
Long Beach Fire Department paramedics took the woman and the other injured child to a hospital, where they were in stable condition, police said.
It was unclear if all three victims were related.
Police said the driver who struck the group was making a turning movement with his 2013 Chevrolet Captiva when the vehicle reversed at a high rate of speed, jumped a curb onto the sidewalk and slammed into the three victims.
The driver remained at the scene and was questioned by police.
Police arrested Russell on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, felony driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs and misdemeanor battery.
“Speed, distraction and impaired driving appear to have contributed to this collision,” according to a police statement.
According to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department inmate records, Russell was booked into the inmate reception center in downtown Los Angeles, with bail set at $335,000.
Nearby resident Alisa Hill told OnSceneTV that she ran outside after hearing a “blood-curdling” scream, and saw the woman pinned between the vehicle and a wall. She said the young girl had a gash on her leg.
“There was the white car backed up all the way onto someone’s front porch that they were hanging out on,” Hill said.
She said the driver was reversing the vehicle when the crash occurred.
“You know sometimes you switch pedals? Instead of braking, he gassed, and he gassed it enough and pinned that person up against, in between the wall and the car,” she said. “They chill on the porch a lot.”
Anyone who witnessed the crash was urged to call the LBPD’s Collision Investigation Detail at 562-570-7355 to speak with Detective Dougherty. Anonymous tips can be submitted through L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or www.lacrimestoppers.org.