Terrifying DUI Crash Unfolds at Downey
In a dramatic turn of events, surveillance footage has captured the harrowing moment when a DUI suspect narrowly missed two individuals before crashing into a car parked outside Gallatin Elementary School in Downey, ultimately ending up on a kindergarten playground.
This terrifying collision unfolded shortly before 5 p.m. last Thursday at the intersection of Gallatin Road and Manzanar Avenue. The video, captured by a Ring camera, reveals an SUV speeding towards a woman as she retrieves something from the back seat of her sedan, which is parked on Gallatin Road's sidewalk. The SUV collided with her car, crashing through a fence before coming to a halt on the school's premises.
One eyewitness, Gaby Enciso, who resides across the street from the school, described the chaos: "I just heard this super loud noise and I thought, 'Oh, somebody obviously crashed.' And then I came out, and that's when I saw the SUV in the playground, the fence down, the car flipped over. Yeah, it was pretty crazy."
Enciso immediately dialed 911 and later shared the video with the police investigators. Fortunately, the woman at the center of the incident and another adult near the car during the impact sustained minor injuries, according to witnesses.
Firefighter-paramedics arrived at the scene and transported the SUV's driver, a 33-year-old man from the Commerce area, on a gurney. He was later arrested on suspicion of DUI, as confirmed by the police.
Despite the presence of children on campus for an after-school program, no students or staff members were harmed. The Downey Unified School District released a statement, assuring the community of their commitment to safety: "Our Facilities Department secured the site last night by installing a temporary fence line and they are also working quickly to repair the playground with a permanent fencing solution that will increase safety for all of our students and staff."
Residents in the area have expressed concerns about speeding vehicles around the school vicinity, emphasizing the need for improved safety measures. Enciso, who witnessed the incident, mentioned that such reckless driving was not uncommon, saying, "people just use this as like a racetrack or something."
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