A 32-year-old woman whose husband and 3-year-old son were killed when the family was struck on a Long Beach sidewalk by an alleged drunken driver on Halloween night has also died, authorities confirmed Monday.
Raihan Dakhil was taken off of life support and died on Sunday night.
Her husband, 30-year-old Joseph Awaida, died shortly after being struck by the SUV. Their son, Omar Awaida, died Saturday at a hospital.
The collision occurred at 9:55 p.m. Thursday in the area of Country Club Drive and Los Cerritos Park Place, where responding officers found the family lying on the ground, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
Police determined that 20-year-old Carlo Adrian Navarro of Long Beach was at the wheel of a 2002 Toyota Sequoia headed southbound on Country Club Drive and failed to make a turn. Instead, he drove onto the sidewalk and hit the family as they walked from Los Cerritos Park Place, according to investigators.
Navarro was detained at the scene and later arrested for allegedly driving under the influence and gross vehicular manslaughter. He posted $100,000 bail and was released Friday, according to jail records.
Friends of the Long Beach family are collecting money to help cover funeral and medical costs. More than $185,000 from about 3,200 donors had been collected as of Monday morning, according to a GoFundMe.com page that was set up with a stated goal of $200,000.
Another fundraiser, set up on the site LaunchGood, had raised more than $140,000 from about 2,500 donors, with a stated goal of $175,000 as of Monday morning.
The Awaida family is part of the local Muslim community and own Joe’s Auto Center in Long Beach. The GoFundMe post says the fund is for “medical, funeral and other financial burdens the family will have to endure as a result of this tragedy.”
An update posted later said, “In response to the overwhelming generosity this campaign is receiving, the family intends to use any excess funds (beyond the above stated scope) towards a lasting legacy project (Sadaqa Jariya), to be determined in the near future. Thank you again for your support.”
A public candlelight vigil will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday at Los Cerritos Park, 3750 Del Mar Ave. in Long Beach.
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