Driver Sought In Deadly Orange Hit-And-Run
ORANGE (CBSLA.com) — Authorities Wednesday were looking for a driver involved in a deadly Orange County hit-and-run crash.
The accident happened around 9:40 p.m. Tuesday in the 1500 block of North Tustin Street in Orange, the California Highway Patrol said.
Homicide detectives tell KCAL9 a GMC Sierra collided with a Ford Explorer and overturned, killing the male driver in his 20s.
An 18-year-old female passenger in the Explorer, who shares a one-month-old baby with the male victim, was also injured and hospitalized in stable condition.
Detectives say the driver of the Sierra, identified as 43-year-old Orange man Christian Thomas McQueen, fled the scene.
Police say the driver has a criminal history and believe he intentionally struck the SUV after an altercation with his girlfriend, instead injuring her daughter and killing the daughter's boyfriend.
"It wasn't an accident. It was an intentional use of a vehicle for the purpose of causing bodily injury so we're investigating it as a homicide," Orange Police Department Lt. Fred Lopez said.
Paul Chapman, who says his daughter was dating McQueen, told KCAL9's Stacey Butler the incident began when McQueen allegedly began assaulting her.
The woman then allegedly called her daughter and the daughter's boyfriend for help and the young couple rushed to pick her up.
Chapman said McQueen became so enraged he followed his girlfriend, along with her daughter and boyfriend in the SUV.
"My daughter's boyfriend lost it and hit their car. He was in a rage. To do that? He was in a rage," Chapman said.
"[He was] trying to kill my daughter but he killed somebody else."
McQueen's girlfriend was not harmed, but her daughter suffered minor injuries.
"They went to go help my daughter and he gets that for helping," Chapman said. "I want to see my granddaughter. I want to know how she's doing."
Chapman's granddaughter is expected to make a full recovery.
McQueen remains at large.
Police ask that anyone who sees the damaged GMC Sierra or the suspect call 911.
