Domestic violence suspect and innocent driver killed in violent crash in South Gate, police say

SOUTH GATE, Calif. (KABC) -- Two drivers were killed early Monday morning in a violent crash at a 7-Eleven parking lot in South Gate.

Moments after law enforcement responded to a domestic violence call, they came across a violent crash that left the suspect and an innocent driver dead outside a convenience store in South Gate.

People in the neighborhood tell Eyewitness News that the intersection of Imperial Highway and Garfield Avenue -- where the deadly crash happened around 6 a.m. Monday -- is not very safe.

Those who live and work in the area say they see accidents at the intersection all the time, but that what happened Memorial Day morning is one of the worst.

It all started with a domestic violence call on Exeter Street in Paramount, about four miles from the crash.

The caller said the suspect was arguing with someone outside his apartment for more than an hour. When deputies arrived, the suspect drove away, according to police.

South Gate police say a man was in the turn lane at the intersection when the domestic violence suspect who was fleeing sheriff's deputies hit the innocent driver at such a high speed, the suspect's car flew into the parking lot of a nearby 7-Eleven, landing on top of an unoccupied parked car.

"It's a dangerous intersection -- really high traffic area. Like I said. I've never seen an accident on this scale," said Anthony Linares, who lives nearby. "This one, it definitely is crazy. For the car to fly like that into a tree, it must have been speeding just crazy fast, honestly. That's not your everyday type of accident you see."

Police said the innocent driver died at the scene. The domestic violence suspect was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

The sheriff's deputies who were looking for the domestic violence suspect later found the crash scene after they had lost track of the suspect's vehicle.

"It's sad because the innocent person could have been going to work or something, just not even realizing what was going to happen. Just very tragic," Linares said.

"A lot of accidents happen. It's a lot of accidents, car, you know, it's a lot of speed. People, especially Imperial Highway, especially in the morning, early it's empty. People speed a lot. No Control," said Mutasem Shoman, the owner of a T-mobile store just feet away from the crash scene.

Shoman is calling on the city and county to do more to make the intersection safe.

"They need to do something in the street. More cameras, bump in the street so people don't speed, something. It's a neighborhood," Shoman said.

Since deputies had lost sight of the domestic violence suspect before the deadly crash, it is not being investigated as a police chase that ended in a crash.