Toddler killed by hit-and-run driver in Woodburn

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/k ... 69366.html

01:03 PM PDT on Tuesday, March 10, 2009

By kgw.com Staff

WOODBURN, Ore. -- A two-year-old boy was killed after running into a Woodburn street and being struck by a van. The van left the scene without stopping and a man was arrested later and charged by police.

Police said the toddler was with his family at a store at Front and Harrison St. around 4 p.m. Monday when the child ran into the street and was hit by a white GMC pickup that drove away from the scene after the impact.

The child died at the scene.

"It brought tears to my eyes. I have four little boys and I don't know what I would do, at all. It's just very sad," said Amy Madrigal, who lives in Woodburn.

Madrigal didn't know the two-year-old victim, but said she felt compelled to do something to pull the community together after this tragedy. She placed flowers at the roadside with the help of her young son.

"He just said that he wanted to go... he wanted to stop and get some flowers and a little bear for the little boy," said Madrigal.

As for the driver who hit the child, the truck was later found at Highway 99E and Industrial Avenue in Hubbard. Suspect Victor Garcia Hernandez was arrested overnight and faces charges including negligent homicide, DUII and hit-and-run.

Hernandez had a previous DUII arrest when he was 21, on New Years day of 2006. His license was suspended after that arrest and then reinstated on 5/1/2006. He entered a guilty plea and also completed a year-long diversion program that included alcohol treatment.

(KGW reporter Erica Heartquist also contributed to this article.)

It's now confirmed on KXL radio that the driver has an ICE hold. Why wasn't he deported after his last DUI?