Long Beach Police have reason to believe an 8-month-pregnant woman’s death was caused by her boyfriend’s drinking and road rage.
A multi-vehicle crash in Long Beach, California, involving the pregnant 23-year-old took place at 11:30 a.m. on August 7, at the intersection of Long Beach Boulevard and 52nd Street.
It happened when a pickup truck suddenly collided with two other vehicles on the road, causing multiple injuries, according to a news release issued by Long Beach Police.
But authorities now believe the incident began multiple blocks back, and that the woman’s death could have been prevented.
Reportedly, minutes before the crash, a white pickup was said to be traveling at a high rate of speed. A 26-year-old man by the name of Miguel Larios, was allegedly speeding down Long Beach Boulevard when he became involved in a road rage incident with another driver.
While police have yet to discover the motive — authorities believed it carried on for several blocks, despite the driver of the second vehicle attempting to disengage and pull back. But this allegedly didn’t stop Larios.
As he reportedly raced down Long Beach Boulevard, he went on to collide with a 2004 Toyota Corolla that was pulling out of a parking spot. He then lost control of his GMC pickup, which struck another parked car just north of 52nd Street, before coming to a stop.
Thankfully, investigators say the driver of the Toyota (an unnamed 45-year-old male) escaped without any serious injuries, and the parked car was unoccupied. But inside the GMC, things were much different.
According to investigators, Larios was with his pregnant girlfriend, Krista Nichols, and his 10-year-old son, who has not been named.
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In addition, Larios is believed to have been intoxicated at the time of the crash. Larios and his son were able to get out of the truck on their own, but Nichols was trapped inside the vehicle until rescuers could work to free her.
Authorities say that both she and her baby ultimately died from their injuries a short time later.
Family friend Conrad Jamir set up a GoFundMe page for the woman’s family, in hopes to “lighten the load during this unexpected difficult season.”
At the time of writing, they had raised a total of $17,378.
“The donation goal is $50,000. Whatever amount you feel led to contribute is greatly appreciated. Or if prayers are the contribution you can offer at this time, those are highly valued too,” Conrad wrote.
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