Alleged DUI Driver, 18, Causes Fiery Crash That Kills 44-Year-Old Paramount Man
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — An allegedly-drunk 18-year-old drove his Smart car into the back of a Chevy sedan on the 110 Freeway Sunday, flipping the bigger car, causing it to catch fire, and burning a trapped man to death in the wreckage, police said.
The victim, described only as a 44-year-old man from Paramount, was pinned under the full-size Monte Carlo sedan as it burned on the shoulder of the southbound Harbor Freeway at 52nd Place, near Vernon Avenue and a mile south of the USC campus.
Dustin Blake Robinson, the 18-year-old driver of the Smart car, was booked for suspicion of second degree murder and drunken driving at the Los Angeles Police Department's downtown jail.
California Highway Patrol Officer Patrick Kimball said three men were on the right shoulder of the freeway, attempting to repair the broken-down Monte Carlo. Robinson was in the far right lane and reportedly swerved to avoid a car that had slowed in front of him.
In addition to the fatality, another man, described as a 47-year-old Wilmington man, suffered major injuries from third degree burs to his arms and face, as well as a broken pelvis.
The third victim, a 19-year-old Compton man, had complaints of pain to both legs.
Robinson had only minor injuries caused by a seatbelt abrasion to his left shoulder.
Two-seater Smart cars, introduced to the United States in 2008, are considered "microcars," and weigh only about 1,600 pounds.
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