Toddler Dies After Car Plunges Into Apple Valley River
APPLE VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — The California Highway Patrol says a 1-year-old boy has drowned after his drunk father drove an off-road vehicle into a river in the San Bernardino County desert.
CHP spokesman Joaquin Zubieta says the Suzuki Samurai plunged Monday night into 9 feet of water in the Mojave River in Apple Valley. The driver had been off-road driving in the area and was inching the SUV into the water when it suddenly plunged and rolled over.
Zubieta says 23-year-old Hunter Kilmer and a 19-year-old passenger escaped but they couldn't get Kilmer's 16-month-old son, Ford, out of a baby seat in the rear.
Kilmer was booked for investigation of manslaughter and driving under the influence and remained jailed Tuesday.
Apple Valley is about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
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