Pregnant woman, 23, is killed in front of her husband and their baby has to be delivered at 35 weeks leaving the child in critical condition after ‘drunk driver mounted pavement as they walked’
- Yesenia Lisette Aguilar, 23, died shortly after motorist Courtney Pandolfi, 40, lost control of her vehicle at 7:37pm on Katella Avenue and Bayless Street
- Pandolfi, who was driving a white Jeep, jumped the curb and struck the expectant mother, 23, who was walking with her husband on the sidewalk
- Aguilar was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center and initially listed in a critical condition before being pronounced dead
- Doctors worked to save her baby, delivering the child by emergency cesarean section, who is now in a critical condition in neonatal intensive care
- Police say Pandolfi appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- She has two prior DUI offenses and was driving with a suspended license
A woman who was 35 weeks pregnant was struck and killed by a suspected DUI driver in Anaheim on Tuesday night.
Yesenia Lisette Aguilar, 23, died shortly after motorist Courtney Pandolfi, 40, lost control of her vehicle at 7:37pm on Katella Avenue and Bayless Street yesterday.
Pandolfi, who was driving a white Jeep, jumped the curb and struck Aguilar who was walking with her husband on the sidewalk at the time, police said.
The mother-to-be was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center and initially listed in a critical condition before being pronounced dead.
Doctors worked to save her unborn baby, delivering the child by emergency cesarean section. The newborn girl is currently in a critical condition at UCI’s neonatal intensive care unit, according to authorities.
Yesenia Lisette Aguilar, 23, died shortly after the incident in Anaheim Tuesday. She was eight months pregnant
A woman who was 35 weeks pregnant was struck and killed by a suspected DUI driver on Tuesday night in Anaheim
The fatal incident occurred at 7:37pm on Katella Avenue and Bayless Street when a driver, later identified to be 40-year-old Courtney Pandolfi (above), lost control of her vehicle
Blood marks and debris are seen on the sidewalk where the fatal incident happened
Aguilar’s husband was not injured. Anaheim Police say Pandolfi’s vehicle ‘narrowly missed’ him.
Pandolfi, meanwhile, was taken to the hospital with minor to moderate injuries. Police say she appeared to be under the influence of either drugs or alcohol.
The 40-year-old, of Garden Grove, has two prior DUI offenses and was driving with a suspended license, police said.
Pandolfi was placed under arrest at the hospital for vehicular manslaughter, felony driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license.
Police said the suspect may also ‘face a murder charge’, pending a thorough investigation.
Witness David Oroczo said he jumped out of his car raced over to the scene of the crash after hearing a loud boom.
A distressed man is comforted by police and other bystanders at the scene. His identity is unclear
Pandolfi, who was driving a white Jeep, jumped the curb and struck the expectant mother, 23, who was walking with her husband on the sidewalk, Sgt. Jon Yepes of the Anaheim Police Department said
Pandolfi, meanwhile, was taken to the hospital with minor to moderate injuries. Police say she appeared to be under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. The 40-year-old, of Garden Grove, has two prior DUI offenses and was driving with a suspended license, police said
‘When I got over there, I noticed a lady on the ground who looked pregnant – her head was banged up,’ he said.
‘The husband was, I think, checking her pulse and when he checked, he screamed,’ Oroczo chillingly added.
Other witnesses from a nearby Taco Bell also rushed to the woman’s aid. Bystanders performed CPR on the mother-to-be until firefighters arrived on scene.
The area where the incident happened was closed while authorities examined the scene.
Anyone with information regarding the incident was asked to call the Anaheim Police Department at 714-765-1900.