DUI crash kills couple and critically injures their 3 kids, California cops say

A drunk driving crash Tuesday night in Newport Beach, California, killed a young couple and left their three young children in critical condition, police say.

The other driver, a 22-year-old woman, faces her second arrest on suspicion of drunk driving in four months, KABC reported.

Police say Grace Elizabeth Coleman of Newport Beach plowed into a car on Newport Beach Drive at 7:45 p.m., according to KNBC.

Henry Eduardo Saldana-Mejia, 27, and Gabriela Andrade, 29, both of Santa Ana, died in the crash, KCBS reported.

Their three children, ages 1, 3, and 5, in the back seat were hospitalized in critical condition, according to the station.

“Good parents, good husband, good friend,” said family friend Hugo Gonzalez, KTTV reported.

Saldana-Mejia had been driving to his workplace to pick up some clothing from Gonzalez for a second job, according to the station. Gonzalez got a call from him right after the crash.

“I answer the phone and nobody (answers) me, just the children talking, screaming, but nobody answered me,” Gonzalez said, KTTV reported. “I said, ‘Hey, are you there? What happened?’ And nobody answered me. I think it was the last call.”

Police say Coleman got out of her vehicle after the collision and walked away, the Los Angeles Times reported. Police later arrested her on suspicion of DUI, traffic homicide and hit and run resulting in death.

This story was originally published December 10, 2020 at 4:27 PM with the headline "DUI crash kills couple and critically injures their 3 kids, California cops say."