Loved ones say 2 killed in L.A. crash were father going to meet newborn for first time and his friend

Video above: 2 killed, child hospitalized after crash in L.A.'s Hyde Park. Aired on the KTLA 5 News at 10 p.m. on July 10, 2026. Loved ones have identified the two men killed in a violent crash in L.A.’s Hyde Park neighborhood as a father going to meet his newborn baby for the first time and his friend. The crash, which involved a suspect driver believed to be racing, also critically injured a young girl, identified as the friend’s daughter.  It all took place on Friday around 10:45 a.m. in the 3300 block of West 78th Street, shortly after the trio was spotted in a local store purchasing items before going to the airport. According to investigators, the victims, who were in a Toyota Camry, were attempting to make a left turn from Crenshaw Boulevard onto West 78th Street when they were broadsided by a speeding BMW also traveling on Crenshaw.  A Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson confirmed to KTLA that the driver of the Camry and one of the passengers were pronounced dead at the scene, while a young girl also in the car was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition. The department spokesperson added that the suspect BMW driver was also hurt. A man who owns a mini mart near the crash site, Ken Smith, told KTLA he believed the suspect in the BMW was racing a Tesla sedan when the deadly crash occurred. Surveillance cameras captured the two vehicles speeding down the road just moments before the collision.  “I heard a zoom go by and I could see them through my window,” he recalled. “And then you hear the “Boom!” and I said, ‘Somebody’s gone,’ because that was a loud boom and they were speeding very fast.”  The two decedents were not formally named by police; however, shortly after the collision, KTLA spoke with Alvaro Castillo, who said the two who died were his son and his son’s friend – he also said the young girl in critical condition is his granddaughter. A verified GoFundMe has since identified Castillo’s son and the father of the injured girl as Tito Castillo, who also has another daughter. The fundraiser, which is raising money for funeral costs, memorial arrangements and supporting his family, described him as “funny, stubborn in the best way, full of love and always willing to help anyone who needed it." “Losing him so unexpectedly has left us shattered and devastated,” the fundraiser reads.   Click here to donate to the GoFundMe. The other decedent was identified by family as Sergio Chiloiro, who was on his way to the airport to meet his newborn baby for the first time, as per a separate GoFundMe. “Sergio was on his way to the airport to meet his newborn baby for the very first time when another driver, who was speeding, struck his vehicle. In an instant, a beautiful life was taken far too soon,” the fundraiser begins. “If you had the privilege of knowing Sergio, you know exactly why this loss feels impossible to comprehend. His smile lit up every room, his kindness was genuine, and his heart was bigger than words could ever describe.”  The fundraiser for Sergio is also raising funds for memorial services and support for his family.   Click here to donate. The suspect in the BMW has not been identified by law enforcement. The Tesla driver has also not been identified. While speed may have been a factor, drugs and alcohol are not suspected to have played a role in the crash, according to the LAPD. Tony Kurzweil and Vivian Chow contributed to this report.