Father, mother, daughter killed after grisly two-car crash in Harvard Park
A grisly two-car collision killed a father, mother and daughter in the Harvard Park area on New Year's Eve.
Investigators said that the crash happened at about 11:20 p.m., when an SUV speeding from the spot of a separate crash failed to stop at a stop sign on 60th Place and Normandie Avenue, colliding with a sedan traveling southbound on Normandie Avenue.
The collision sent the sedan hurtling into a street sign and fence on the southwest corner of the intersection, police said. Good Samaritans attempted to remove the four passengers from the smoking car before paramedics could arrive.
The sedan was occupied by a family of four, three of whom died. The Los Angeles Fire Department said that the father and his 5-year-old daughter died on New Year's Eve. On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Police Department announced that the mother had died in the hospital after suffering critical injuries.
Relatives identified the three as 49-year-old Jose Pascagaza, 30-year-old Luisa Bernal and 5-year-old Mia.
The final member of the family, a 1-year-old girl named Hannah Sophia, remains in critical condition. Her birthday is on Jan. 11.
"The little girl has an amazing little fight in her. She's been in the PICU unit over at Harbor UCLA," Det. Ryan Moreno said. "I believe over the night, kind of a miracle happened because the last few days we were hearing, she wasn't expected to survive."
Detectives said that the victims were from Colombia.
Family members said they moved here 13 months ago.
Police identified the alleged DUI driver, 22-year-old Isaac Kahiri was trying to get away from another collision when he blew through a stop sign and struck the family's car. He did not sustain any serious injuries.
He faces murder and gross vehicular manslaughter charges.
"This is basically a murder," Moreno said. "You can't drive two times the speed limit through city streets running red lights and stop lights just cause you feel like it or you're trying to get away from a crime you committed."
Loved ones are raising funds to send the family's bodies back to Colombia and to pay for the soon-to-be 2 year old's hospital bill.
