Dad Arrested After Accident that Killed his Son

Chrissie Cole

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A father has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after fleeing from a fatal car accident that claimed the life of his 9-year-old son, who was asleep in the front seat, yesterday.

The boy died on impact, authorities said. The boy's father was driving him home when he crashed into the back of a pickup truck parked on the shoulder of the road, said California Highway Patrol.

The father, who is in the country illegally and not a licensed driver, got out and ran from the scene leaving his son in the truck.

"He called his wife after to make sure she went to get Alex," said, a family member. "He thought the kid was still sleeping in there. He didn't know he was dead."

The father's brother, who was also drinking, picked him up in a nearby parking lot and took him home, where police were waiting.

He was booked into jail on several felonies that included driving under the influence, vehicular manslaughter and hit and run. His bond was set at $300,000.