A pedestrian killed in a hit-and-run flew through the front windshield of the auto as the woman behind the wheel kept driving for a mile with the body lodged in the front seat, police said.
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The motorist, 29-year-old Esteysi Izazaga Sanchez of Oceanside, allegedly continued driving with the mortally injured man protruding into the vehicle, lodged against the front passenger seat.
Prosecutors believe the 29-year-old had been drinking in several bars in Oceanside, around 25 miles south of Los Angeles, in southern California, until the early hours of Monday 27 June.
The police did not disclose the identity of the victim as of posting, while Sanchez will be booked into the Vista Detention Facility.
Police say Sanchez veered onto the sidewalk and hit the man at high speed.
The driver’s teal Pontiac sedan was moving so fast and the impact was so forceful that one of the man’s legs was ripped from his torso at the waist, flew through the back window and landed on the trunk of her auto, KNSD reported. Sanchez continued driving for a mile before parking in a cul-de-sac and walking away.
Witnesses called police and Sanchez was arrested a few blocks away.
Edgar Esparza left his house and saw the auto with the body still on the windshield. “I mean, just seeing that up close and personal, it’s kind of traumatizing in a way”, witness Edwin Esparza told KNSD. “It was so unusual that I couldn’t imagine any scenario that would cause this”.
Based on their investigation, police determined that Sanchez was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, Keim said. She faces felony hit and run and gross vehicular manslaughter charges. It remains unclear if she has retained a lawyer, according to the Associated Press.
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Community members have set up a memorial for the victim, who has not been identified, saying they do not want him to be forgotten, KNSD-TV reports.
