By Isaac Ceja / Real America News
Nov 26, 2024, 01:09 AM EST
Two children, ages 3 and 4, died Sunday night in a car accident where a driver, driving at high speed, collided with the vehicle carrying a family of four, according to the Rialto Police Department.
In photos shared by the Rialto Police Department on Instagram, toys, clothing and a child’s chair are seen lying in the middle of the street.
The speeding driver fled the crime scene at the intersection of Riverside Avenue and Walnut Avenue, but was later detained by authorities, who determined he was under the influence of alcohol, according to authorities.
The driver was arrested and charged with the murder of the two children, whose identities were not revealed. The children’s parents were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.
The family’s vehicle was making a left turn when a blue Dodge Ram ran a red light and hit the family’s Honda Accord, which then hit a tow truck, said Rusty Lamm, spokesman for the Chicago Police Department. Rialto to the LA Times newspaper.
According to a report from the FOX network in Los Angeles, officers said that the driver who apparently caused the incident was identified as Alexis García, 28 years old and a resident of San Bernardino, who was unharmed in the accident.
According to authorities, Garcia had a passenger with him during the incident who was detained and later released.
Several comments on the Rialto Police Department’s Instagram post expressed frustration with the danger that exists on Riverside Avenue, where the accident occurred.
One person commented that there were already four fatalities in just two months on Riverside Avenue.
Although the most current data released by the police department does not reflect it, more people commented that accidents like the one that occurred last Sunday are common.
Late last month, the Rialto Police Department received a $425,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).
The grant will support the Police Department’s efforts in law enforcement and education programs to help reduce the numbers of injuries and deaths on Rialto streets.
According to a statement from officials, the grant will last through September 2025 and will establish more DUI checkpoints, community presentations on traffic safety and collaborative enforcement efforts with neighboring agencies, among other things.
“This funding will strengthen our commitment to public safety in our community,” Rialto Police Chief Mark P. Kling said in a statement last month.
“We will be able to increase our efforts to make our community safer, with enforcement targeting drunk driving and speeding.”
Kling added that each year, his police department aims to reduce traffic collisions.
One of the ways the department has tried to combat traffic accidents caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol is through establishing checkpoints where officers look for signs that indicate drivers are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. other drugs.
Despite the ways the department is trying to reduce traffic collisions, some residents still say they hear crashes from time to time from their home near Riverside Avenue.