3 Women, Fetus Killed in Crash With Suspected Drunk Driver

Three women--all relatives who had emigrated from Mexico--and a 7-month fetus were killed in a collision involving a suspected drunk driver in Wilmington, and a fourth woman, also related, was hospitalized in critical condition, police said Sunday.

Authorities identified the dead women as Veronica Aguilar, 24, who was pregnant; Olga Zamora, 18, and Marisela Arias, 19. Arias’ 24-year-old sister, Rosalia, was in critical but stable condition at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center with a broken arm and internal injuries, friends of the family said.

Aguilar’s fetus was delivered by Cesarean section three hours after the accident, but was stillborn, relatives said.

Aguilar and Zamora were first cousins, and they were also first cousins of the Arias sisters, relatives said.

Cynthia Estrada, a neighbor and friend of the Arias sisters and Zamora, who lived on Hawaiian Avenue in a public housing project in Wilmington, said she will open an account at a Bank of America Branch in Wilmington today to accept donations for medical and burial bills.

The accident occurred late Saturday as the women were driving Aguilar, who had been visiting the Ariases and Zamora, back to her home in Wilmington, police said.

A suspected drunk driver ran a red light at Pacific Coast Highway and Neptune Avenue at 11:30 p.m., slamming into the women’s 1984 Ford Escort, police said. Hubaldo Calderon, 21, of Wilmington was arrested and booked for investigation of murder and drunk driving.