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Driver charged after Gwinnett crash kills unborn baby
Gwinnett County Police charged 33-year-old Dorin Lupas with first-degree feticide following a 94 miles per hour crash on Satellite Boulevard. The crash killed an unborn baby and severely injured his mother, who faces a year of physical recovery.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A Duluth man has been charged with feticide after police said he crashed into a couple on Satellite Boulevard going 94 miles per hour, killing their unborn baby boy.
"The car came in the slow lane at 94 miles an hour and just took us out," Symeon Izaguirre, the unborn boy's father, said. "We lost the baby on impact, and she was in the car trapped because we were T-boned on her side of the car."
But amazingly, Izaguirre said they have forgiven that driver.
What we know:
Gwinnett Police charged 33-year-old Dorin Lupas of Duluth with first-degree feticide, reckless driving, racing, and speeding, among other charges on August 27th.
According to the arrest warrants obtained by FOX 5, Lupas was driving a Mercedes at 94 miles per hour when he slammed into a Mini Cooper turning into a shopping plaza on Satellite Boulevard near Duluth.
Timeline:
The collision occurred on June 20 while Samantha Izaguirre was 24 weeks pregnant.
Emergency responders pulled Symeon Izaguirre from the wreckage first as he drifted in and out of consciousness before extricating his trapped wife.
Both were rushed to the hospital in separate rooms, where Samantha entered intensive care for a broken femur, ankle, and pelvis.
Symeon had to wait weeks until Samantha woke up from breathing tubes to break the news that their unborn child had died on impact.
After police initially claimed Izaguirre was at fault for the crash, they charged Lupas more than a month later. Witnesses told investigators they heard him revving his engine at a stoplight moments before the crash. Airbag data from his car shows he had put the pedal to the floor.
What they're saying:
Doctors estimate it will take approximately a year for Samantha to walk again, forcing Symeon to quit his job to become her full-time caregiver.
Despite experiencing PTSD and feeling overwhelmed, the couple stated their faith has guided them to forgive Lupas.
"We just can't carry the anger and the hate that comes with it," Izaguirre said. "We know it's a tragedy, but we also know that it was a mistake."
Lupas is now out on bond.
"We can't change the outcome for him, what's happening to him right now," Symeon Izaguirre, crash victim, said. "But we do forgive."
The couple posthumously named their son Zion and were able to hold and pray over his body in the hospital.
What you can do:
Anyone wishing to support the family during their recovery can do so on their GoFundMe fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/f/xa8dj4-support-my-wifes-recovery?cp_src=d
So far, they have raised more than $20,000.
The Source: This article is based on original reporting by FOX 5’s Rob DiRienzo, who obtained the arrest warrants and spoke to the male crash victim.