Los Angeles, California – A 33-year-old woman died after an SUV driver mounted the curb during an unsafe turn, crashing into a building and crushing the victim against the structure in the Vermont Square neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Calls about the fatal collision at 1354 W. 46th St. came in shortly after 4:30 p.m., according to officials from the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Police say the victim of the Vermont Square accident, Lisbeth Estrada Rodríguez, a young mother and business owner in the neighborhood, was walking home when she was struck by Dwight Williams, 31, who made an unsafe turn at high speed before colliding with the innocent woman.
“He collided with her, projecting her directly against the building, causing a cavernous crater in the building, which suggests high speed,” said Detective Chavarria. Williams was arrested for vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and was booked at the LAPD’s 77th Street Station.
Neighbors told local media about how Rodríguez and her husband ran a small store around the corner and that the mother of two young children was well-loved in the community.
“She was a great person, a hardworking mother, always taking her kids to school,” said neighbor Jeremy González. “I hope someone hears this and starts a GoFundMe for her husband because I don’t know how he’s going to manage, taking care of two kids, trying to work, and running a business.”
The LAPD said the intersection of Normandie Avenue and 46th Street was closed for an extended period while investigators determined the cause of the accident.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family.
