SOLANA BEACH: Pregnant woman, fetus killed in I-5 hit-and-run

Investigators seeking North County man

SOLANA BEACH ---- A pregnant Tijuana woman and her unborn child died early Sunday after a crash on Interstate 5 that involved a hit-and-run driver and a passing motorist who stole the pregnant woman's purse, a California Highway Patrol officer said.

Investigators are searching for the North County man who is the registered owner of the car suspected of causing the accident.

At around 1 a.m. on northbound I-5 just north of Lomas Santa Fe Drive, the driver of a speeding Nissan Altima sedan changed lanes and clipped the back of a Ford Explorer carrying a family, Officer Mark Latulippe said.

Yine Gonzalez, 24 years old and six months pregnant, was partly thrown from the Explorer when the sport utility vehicle overturned several times, Latulippe said.

Gonzalez died of her injuries at a hospital and her fetus could not be saved, Latulippe said. The woman's husband, 5-year-old daughter and two relatives were also in the car at the time of the crash and were treated for minor injuries, he said.

Latulippe said a witness stopped for the crash and initially helped the two men in the Altima which, like the Explorer, had come to rest in the left two lanes.

When that witness went to help the family in the Explorer, both men from the Altima fled on foot, he said.
Investigators said the Altima is registered to John F. Sudac Jr., 27, who resides in both Oceanside and Carlsbad. They are trying to contact Sudac to determine whether he had any role in Sunday's crash.

Sudac is described as white with black hair and brown eyes, 5 feet 8 inches tall and 150 pounds.

The passenger within the Nissan Altima is described as a Latino man and is believed to have sustained a laceration to his head and face.

Investigators are also looking for a motorist who stopped for the crash just long enough to steal Gonzalez's purse, which was thrown from the Explorer, Latulippe said.

Anyone with information about Sudac, the passenger of the Altima, or the person who stole the crash victim's purse is asked to call CHP dispatch at (85 637-3800.

The Oceanside CHP office can be called during business hours at (760) 757-1675.



Investigators name John F. Sudac, Jr. as a person of interest in the investigation of a crash that killed a pregnant woman and her unborn child.


http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2009/01 ... 7638be.txt