Drunk Driver Runs Over Homeless People In Los Angeles

A drunk driver lost control of her car in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday morning, running over two homeless people in the process. According to the New York Daily News, both victims were pronounced dead at the scene by authorities.

The intoxicated woman, 19-year-old Carmen Elena Chavez, was driving her Mercedes through the Skid Row section of downtown Los Angeles when she reportedly lost control of the automobile. Reports indicate that Chavez was speeding when she attempted to make a right turn, which caused her car to jump the curb. It was at this time that her vehicle struck a man and woman who were sleeping against a nearby wall.

“All of a sudden it was like, ‘boom.’ When I looked, I saw a car, it scraped this part of the wall right here where the people were sleeping. And then it hit this thing … and slipped and came to a stop,” one witness explained to KTLA.

Authorities stated that the victims were dragged over 50 feet before the car came to an abrupt halt. After the car stopped, some of the passengers reportedly fled the scene of the crime. Chavez, however, remained behind.

“The unidentified victims were pronounced dead at the scene by the Los Angeles Fire Department Paramedics,” Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson Officer Cleon Joseph explained to BNO News. “[Chavez] was found to be under the influence of alcohol and booked for 191.5 P.C., Vehicular Manslaughter.”

The jaws of life were used by emergency crews to retrieve the bodies from beneath the suspect’s automobile. Neither the victims nor the passengers have been identified as of this writing.

Carmen Elena Chavez, meanwhile, has been booked on counts of driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter for running over two homeless people in downtown Los Angeles. Her bail was reportedly set at $100,000.