DUI driver arrested after 2 pedestrians killed, 3 injured in North Hollywood crash

Two pedestrians were killed and three others were injured early Sunday when a suspected DUI driver traveling at high speed slammed into a group along a North Hollywood street before crashing into multiple parked vehicles and a residential property, authorities said. The violent collision occurred around 2:25 a.m. in the 6100 block of Colfax Avenue, just north of Calvert Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department’s Valley Traffic Division. Investigators say a gray Acura traveling northbound at an unsafe speed struck two pedestrians who had just exited the rear driver’s side of a white Toyota Camry that was stopped along the street. The Acura also crashed into the Camry, which still had three occupants inside. The force of the impact propelled the two pedestrians forward before they struck the roadway. The Acura continued in a northeast direction, eventually careening into a private driveway where it hit several unoccupied parked vehicles and caused damage to a nearby home. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics pronounced one pedestrian, a man in his 30s, dead at the scene. The second victim, a woman in her 50s, was transported to a hospital where she later died from her injuries. Their names have not yet been released pending notification of next of kin. Three people who remained inside the Camry at the time of the crash suffered minor injuries, police said. Authorities identified the driver of the Acura as 32-year-old Vidal Cruz Jr. of Pacoima. Detectives determined Cruz was allegedly speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. He was taken to a hospital for treatment following the collision and was later arrested and booked at Van Nuys Jail on two counts of murder. Police said his bail was set at $4 million. KTLA 5’s Jennifer McGraw spoke with a nearby homeowner who said the victims appeared to be dropping off a friend who lives in the apartment complex when they were struck. Witnesses told KTLA the driver appeared disoriented after the crash and crawled out of the wreckage before being transported by paramedics. Investigators canvassed the neighborhood Sunday morning seeking surveillance footage that could help determine the moments leading up to the deadly crash. Anyone with information about the collision is urged to contact Valley Traffic Division Officer Garibay at 818-644-8032 or Detective Ramirez at 818-644-8025. After hours, calls may be directed to 877-LAPD-24-7. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS. Authorities reminded drivers to never drink and drive, warning that impaired driving combined with speed can have devastating consequences.