Two children died after running into traffic to retrieve luggage that had flown off their vehicle, California police told news outlets.
At 6:10 p.m. June 18, the kids’ mom, Sandra Ortiz, 33, was driving a GMC Yukon SUV in Vista when she stopped on the freeway’s shoulder so the siblings — 10-year-old Alan Gerardo Aguilar and 16-year-old Amy Monserrat Beltran — could hop out, California Highway Patrol told.
The kids were struck by a Nissan Sentra on State Route 78, troopers told Press. They died at the scene.
The pair’s family released a statement about the children saying in part, “Amy, a sweet and kind soul, had an unwavering passion for baking and dreamed of becoming a chef. … Alan’s selflessness and desire to care for his family were truly admirable, a testament to his kind and compassionate nature.”
The family was on its way to sell bracelets at a nearby park to save up money to buy their dad a Father’s Day present.
The 41-year-old driver of the Nissan Sentra remained at the scene, according to the outlet.
Ortiz was arrested and faces three counts of DUI resulting in bodily injury and two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter, according to jail records.
She was booked into Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility in Santee, and her bail was set at $500,000, according to jail records.
Vista is about 40 miles north of San Diego.