Drunken Driver Killed Pregnant Woman on Christmas Eve: Police

CHICAGO, IL — A Christmas Eve drunken driver with an open bottle of booze in his car struck and killed a pregnant woman on a Chicago street, according to police, hitting her so hard her boots were knocked off her feet. Her body was thrown almost 70 yards.

Surveillance video shows Karla Y. Leanos starting to cross West Ogden in North Lawndale at about 9:50 p.m. when she saw the car and tried to get out of the way, reports ABC Chicago. The driver sped away without stopping, but police later caught up with him.

Raymond Sykes was nearby and ran to her side.

“I was in the house. I heard a loud noise outside,” Sykes told Fox Chicago. “Seen the car going about 70 miles an hour. Hit the lady and she was basically tumbling on the top of the car all the way from over here to that pole over there.”

Today, Silvestre Garcia, 22, of South Lawndale, faces felony charges of aggravated DUI causing death and leaving the scene of an accident. A  judge Sunday set bail at $750,000.

Karla Y. Leanos, 26, who was seven months pregnant, lost her life, but doctors at Mt. Sinai Hospital were able to save her baby boy. His condition was stabilized by Christmas morning.

Rick Page of Chi City Cycles has a surveillance camera on his business in the 4200 block of West Ogden, and his camera recorded the episode. Page told NBC Chicago he saw the woman literally knocked out of her boots.

“Gruesome, it was really gruesome,” Page told reporters. “That is a miracle baby.”

Leanos was married and lived in Little Village with her three young children, according to friends.

“I’ve been crying on and off all day to be honest,” the friend said. “I’m heartbroken for her kids, her family. A tragedy that she lost her life and a miracle and a blessing that her baby survived.”

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