Police Suspect Street Racing in Crash that Killed Woman and Grandchild

A man accused of causing a hit-and-run crash in Irvine that killed a 54-year-old woman and her 2-year-old granddaughter was charged today with two counts of vehicular manslaughter.

Alec Scott Abraham, 20, of Costa Mesa, is expected to be arraigned sometime today in Santa Ana. In addition to the manslaughter counts, Abraham was also charged with hit-and-run causing death, reckless driving with bodily injury and a misdemeanor count of petty theft.

He is accused of causing the crash that occurred about 9 p.m. Wednesday on Alton Parkway at Barranca Parkway. Katherine Hampton, 54, of Lake Forest, died at the scene. Her granddaughter, Kaydence Hampton, died at 2:20 p.m. Sunday.

The girl’s 7-year-old brother and 28-year-old mother remain hospitalized, police said.

Police said they are investigating the possibility that street racing was involved in the crash.

According to prosecutors, Abraham was driving a black Ford Mustang west on Alton Parkway and ran a red light, slamming into the driver’s side of a Chevy Cruze driven by Katherine Hampton. The vehicles struck a black Honda Civic that was stopped at the intersection. The 44-year-old woman driving that car was treated at a hospital and has since been released.

Prosecutors said that shortly after the crash, Abraham approached a bystander and asked to use a cell phone, then ran from the scene with the phone. He was arrested Thursday in Costa Mesa and is being held on $1 million bail.

Police said another vehicle -- a dark-colored, lowered coupe or sedan, possibly a Mustang -- was seen traveling at a high rate of speed and fleeing the area of the crash. Anyone with information regarding the possible street race or the second vehicle and its driver or other possible occupants was urged to call Irvine police Detective Jonathan Cherney at (949) 724-7024.

City News Service