DUI suspect held on $1M bond after Irvine crash kills 1 pedestrian, critically injures 3

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) -- A DUI suspect on Thursday remained jailed on $1,000,000 bond following an Irvine crash that killed a mother and left three of her family members critically injured.

The crash happened about 8 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Ridgeline and Turtle Rock Drive, where an SUV jumped a curb and struck the pedestrians, police said.

Investigators said the driver veered off the road and onto a sidewalk, where the victims were out for an evening stroll. All four were rushed to a hospital, where the 45-year-old woman died. A 49-year-old man, 16-year-old boy and girl of about 15 were initially listed in critical condition.

The driver of the BMW X5 was identified by authorities as Kamal Attoh, 37. The Irvine resident was questioned at the scene and subsequently arrested. He is scheduled to be arraigned Friday.

After plowing into the pedestrians, the SUV continued on down the side of a small hill and stopped just short of an apartment complex.

According to the Irvine Police Department, there was no apparent wrongdoing by the victims, who have not been publicly identified.

"We need to respond to any fatality, no matter the circumstances," Kim Mohr, a police spokeswoman, told reporters at the scene. "And the fact that it was a family - of course, our hearts go out to the family, and our detectives are going to do everything to investigate this case."

Ali Kachueian, who lives near the crash site, described the horrific aftermath of the impact: "A lady on the ground. A girl with a bloody face. One person was stuck under the car and one young boy - probably a teenager, actually."

As of Thursday morning, the conditions of the three survivors had each been upgraded from critical to serious.