2 alleged street racers arrested after man is struck, killed in Downey

DOWNEY, Calif. (KABC) -- Two suspected street racers were arrested after a pedestrian was struck and killed in Downey Sunday night.

A 20-year-old South Gate man and a 34-year-old Downey man were both arrested and booked for vehicular manslaughter, a press release issued by the Downey Police Department stated.

The incident happened near the intersection of Bellflower Boulevard and Imperial Highway at about 8:40 p.m., according to Downey police. Authorities said a black BMW 328i and a gray Hyundai Tiburon were street racing on Imperial Highway before a multi-vehicle collision occurred.

Both cars were traveling at 100 mph when they approached Bellflower Boulevard. At the same time, a Nissan Altima was making a left turn onto the street. The Hyundai managed to avoid the Altima and crashed into the center divider, but the BMW struck the Altima, which was carrying three passengers, then careened out of control and onto the sidewalk.

The BMW struck and killed the pedestrian, described by officials as a man in his 40s, who was standing on the corner. The man's body was thrown about 50 feet across the street.

Kevin Cooper, who was just a few feet away from where the crash happened, said the collision was a tough sight to see. He rushed to the victim's side.

"I prayed for the gentleman's family. I did not know him personally, but it's tragic to see an innocent person lose their life over something like this," he said.

All three occupants of the Nissan were transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries. No other injuries were reported.

This violent crash was one in a string of deadly street racing accidents in recent months. On Saturday, a multi-vehicle crash on the 5 Freeway in Commerce killed three and left several in critical condition and was also blamed on street racing.

An investigation on the fatal crash was ongoing. Anyone with information was urged to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.