Mother and son killed in hit-and-run involving drunk driver

A man has been arrested after a hit-and-run collision claimed the life of a mother and her son.

According to Los Angeles Police Department officials, calls of the collision originally came out to police at 5:20 p.m. Sunday evening at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Burlington Avenue in L.A.’s Westlake neighborhood. 

Further investigation revealed that the driver, identified as Isaiah Villegas, was heading east on Wilshire at a high rate of speed when his black 2008 Cadillac CTS lost control and collided into a traffic light pole.

“The vehicle continued eastbound and struck two pedestrians that were standing near the southeast corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Burlington Avenue,” LAPD said in a release.

Villegas then tried to flee the scene on foot but was apprehended about one block away.

Upon being detained, Villegas displayed “objective symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol,” authorities said, and they later determined that speed was also a factor in the crash.

One of the pedestrians, a 32-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other pedestrian, a 63-year-old woman, was transported to a hospital in critical condition where she later died due to her injuries, law enforcement officials said. 

The two pedestrians were a mother and her son, law enforcement confirmed, but their identities have not yet been released.

Villegas was arrested for vehicular manslaughter, LAPD said.

He was booked at Metropolitan Detention Center with his bail set at $100,000.

Anyone with information regarding the crash is asked to contact Central Traffic Investigator S. Balderas at 213-233-3713 or email 41911@lapd.online

During non-business hours and on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-527-3247.

Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or going to their website.