Two children were struck and killed by a car in California while attempting to retrieve luggage that had fallen from their vehicle.
The children’s mother, Sandra Ortiz, 33, was apprehended following the tragic incident. The accident happened on Route 78 Freeway in Vista, near San Diego, around 6 pm on Sunday, June 18, as per local media reports. The casualties of this tragic event were a girl, aged 16, and a boy, aged 10.
Miguel Aguilar, Ortiz’s life partner for the past 13 years, informed a news organization that four other children were in the vehicle at the time, along with the two victims, Amy Monserrat Beltran and Alan Gerardo Aguilar. The family is reported to be homeless.
The incident occurred when Ortiz, operating a green GMC Yukon SUV, pulled over on the right shoulder of the freeway. Her children stepped out of the vehicle to retrieve a suitcase that had fallen off their car, and while doing so, they were struck by a white Nissan Sentra.
The Nissan’s driver, a 41-year-old woman who hasn’t been charged, remained at the location until law enforcement officials arrived. Regrettably, the children were confirmed dead at the site. Ortiz, who stayed in the vehicle while her children ventured onto the highway, was arrested on charges including DUI, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and child endangerment.
Authorities continue to investigate the factors surrounding the fatal accident.
