Azusena Barragan Killed in North Hollywood DUI Accident
The driver was arrested on suspicion of murder following the early morning collision on Colfax Avenue
Azusena Barragan, 50, was killed in a suspected DUI pedestrian accident on Colfax Avenue near Calvert Street in North Hollywood, California, early Sunday, April 12, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Vidal Cruz Jr., 31, faces two counts of murder. Officers arrested the driver and booked him into the Van Nuys Jail in lieu of $4 million bail after determining he was operating the vehicle at an unsafe speed while impaired by alcohol.
The northbound gray Acura struck the woman and another person who had just exited the driver's side of a parked white Toyota Camry at 2:25 a.m. The Acura then collided with the Camry, which had three passengers inside, before veering into a private driveway and hitting several unoccupied vehicles.
Paramedics rushed the woman to a local hospital, where she later died from multiple blunt-force traumatic injuries. The second pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene, while the three people inside the Camry suffered minor injuries.
The investigation remains active. Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact the LAPD's Valley Traffic Division.
The devastating consequences of impaired driving leave families grappling with sudden loss while navigating the criminal justice system. While prosecutors pursue criminal charges against the driver, independent investigations often run parallel to ensure all liable parties are identified. National LNational Legal Analyst Candice Bond, Managing Partner at Bond Legal, noted that "The human toll of a pedestrian crash is a tragedy that our whole community feels. If a car hits someone at forty miles per hour, there's an eighty-five percent chance the person walking won't survive the impact."
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, alcohol involvement was present in nearly half of all fatal pedestrian crashes nationwide in 2022.
How does a DUI arrest impact the investigation?
When a driver faces murder charges following a fatal collision, the police investigation focuses heavily on toxicology reports, event data recorders, and surveillance footage to establish criminal negligence. National LNational Legal Analyst Stefano Formica, Of Bond Legal, noted that "In every fatal crash, the legal investigation looks at 'proximate cause,' which means finding the action that directly led to the tragedy. This helps clarify if the event was a random occurrence or the result of someone failing to follow the rules."
What happens next for the North Hollywood community?
As the community mourns the loss of life on Colfax Avenue, safety advocates emphasize that criminal proceedings are only one avenue for justice. Civil claims often explore additional liability, such as whether an establishment over-served the impaired driver before the crash.
California wrongful death statute
Under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 377.60, surviving family members may file a wrongful death action. California applies pure comparative fault. The statute of limitations is 2 years from the date of death.
Recoverable damages may include loss of financial support, loss of companionship, funeral expenses, and the decedent's pre-death pain and suffering.
National Legal Analyst Bond of Bond Legal noted that "Understanding your own insurance 'limits' is a critical part of the legal framework.