Three-year-old Lany Castillo is struggling to survive major head injuries after a Garden Grove man allegedly drove drunk and crashed into the vehicle she was driving in, reports laist.com.
Twenty-five-year-old Matthew Parker is accused of speeding while under the influence in his Toyota Highlander, running a red light and broadsiding the Toyota Corolla the girl was riding in on Friday afternoon in Whittier.
Lany suffered major head trauma and was airlifted to USC Medical Center, while her grandparents - driver Jorge Garcia and passenger Estella Garcia - were also taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
Parker also allegedly tried to flee the scene on foot, leaving his passenger who also suffered minor injuries and was sent to the hospital. He was reportedly found hiding in an apartment complex in the neighborhood where the accident occurred.
Parker was arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving and felony hit-and-run, and his bail was set at $100,000. If convicted, Parker faces serious consequences, especially given the severity of the little girl's injuries. Under the California Vehicle Code, fleeing the scene of an accident is typically punished by less than a year of imprisonment, or a fine. However, if the accident results in permanent, serious injury of another, Jones could get a sentence of two-to-four years in prison if convicted.
For more information on the crime of leaving the scene of an accident, see our Related Resources section.
From the reports of his actions on Friday and the resulting tragic consequences, it sounds like Matthew Parker is going to need an experienced DUI attorney to represent him against all of the allegations.
Related Resources:
- Find a Los Angeles DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
- Girl, 3, Critically Injured In Crash Involving Alleged Drunk Driver, 25 (CBSLocal)
- 5 Driving Tips to Protect Your Family (CBS Los Angeles)
- Leaving the Scene of an Accident/ Hit and Run (FindLaw)
- Police: Good Samaritans Stopped Fleeing LA Drunk Driver on 605 (The Los Angeles DUI Blog)
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