A 33-year-old man accused of fatally running over a toddler in South Los Angeles was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading no contest to a charge connected with the DUI collision, prosecutors announced Friday.
George Edward Milton Jr. of Gardena entered his plea to one count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Milton was behind the wheel when he lost control of the vehicle, drove up on a sidewalk and hit 3-year-old Eidan Cortez, who was walking with his pregnant mother near 92nd and Figueroa streets on May 20, the release stated.
His car crashed into a nearby gate, and in an attempt to get away, he put his car in reverse and ran over Cortez a second time, prosecutors said.
Milton’s effort to flee the scene was stopped by good Samaritans, who help the defendant until police arrived at the scene.
“The neighbors got involved and stepped in and were able to stop him from getting away,” Christopher Taylor told KTLA after the crash. “He made several attempts, which is another sad issue … he was trying to get away and making matters worse.”
Residents and first responders tried to save Eidan’s life, but the little boy was pronounced dead after being transported to a local hospital.
The case was investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department.
