GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A University of Florida student was killed and two others were injured Saturday night in a hit-and-run by a drunk driver while walking on a sidewalk, the Gainesville Police Department said.
According to police, Karan Khullar, 22, was waiting at a bus stop in front of the Campus Club Apartments on Southwest 37th Boulevard with two friends when Damaris Guerrero-Garcia, 23, drove off the road at high speeds and struck the group, officials said.
Witnesses told police that after crashing into the group, Guerrero-Garcia drove away toward Southwest 34th Street.
The impact of the crash threw Khullar several feet, officials said. He was taken to UF Shands, where he died from his injuries.
About 20 minutes after the crash, a recklessly driven car matching Guerrero-Garcia's was reported driving southbound on Interstate 75.
Witnesses said Guerrero-Garcia's car was driving at high speeds and throwing sparks from the damage it sustained during the alleged crash.
Guerrero-Garcia was stopped by the Florida Highway Patrol in Marion County and given a breathalyzer test, where she blew 0.14 blood alcohol level and was arrested, officials said. The legal limit for driving under the influence is 0.08.
Authorities said car debris recovered at the scene matched that from Guerrero-Garcia's car.
University of Florida police was notified of the crash and assisted at the hospital. The Dean of Student Affairs also went to the hospital to assist fellow students.
Khullar's two friends suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash, officials said.
The crash closed Southwest 37th Boulevard was closed for about four hours.