An alleged drunk driver was arrested Monday morning in California after striking and killing a homeless man before continuing to drive for roughly a mile with his body lodged in the windshield. Stacy Sanchez was driving home after a night of drinking at "several bars" when the hit-and-run occurred, ABC 10 Newsreported. The victim's identity has not been released.
The violent collision, which happened at around 6:20 a.m. near the Old Mission Montessori School in Oceanside, ended with the vehicle driving up on a sidewalk and "through landscaping" before eventually coming to a stop. According to witnesses, Sanchez, 29, then exited the vehicle and walked away. She was later questioned at her home before being taken into custody and charged with felony hit-and-run, felony DUI, and vehicular manslaughter.
Due to the velocity of the vehicle at impact, the unidentified victim's leg was "detached from his body and flew through the back window" before landing on the car's trunk, NBC San Diegoreported. The victim's body was lodged in the windshield with his head "coming to a rest" on the front passenger seat.
"There's no words to really describe it," said one witness, who was changing the oil in his car when he saw the collision. "I mean, just seeing that up close and personal, it's kind of traumatizing in a way."
The victim, described by police as a "known transient," is believed to have been traveling by foot either to or from a local soup kitchen when he was struck and killed. His shoes, wallet, pants, and ID were later discovered in the middle of the street. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
The Oceanside Police Department did not immediately respond to Complex's request for comment.
