Victim dies after being run over by DUI suspect on Santa Monica beach

An unidentified female died after being struck by a DUI suspect in an SUV on the beach in Santa Monica late Thursday night.

The incident was reported around 11:30 p.m. when a silver SUV was seen driving on the sand near the Santa Monica Pier.

“I just happened to be looking that way and I see these lights coming around the corner of the bathroom and it got stuck,” said one witness, who was staying on the beach overnight.

The man said two or three kids got out of the SUV and tried to push it out of the sand.

Video showed the SUV remained stuck when emergency crews arrived and tried to help the unidentified victim who was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Officers located an unconscious female, believed to be homeless, wedged beneath the vehicle,” the Santa Monica Police Department stated in an update Friday morning. Witnesses initially said that a man had been killed in the crash.

The victim was believed to be lying on the sand, possibly asleep, at the time of the crash. A makeshift homeless encampment with several tents was seen in the area as the investigation was underway Friday morning.

The driver was identified by police as 21-year-old YuYang Sun of Arcadia.

Sun was operating a 2015 Infiniti SUV and “reported to be driving in circles at high speeds on the sand when he ran over the victim,” police said.

Sun was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, reckless driving and gross vehicular manslaughter.

A large portion of the beach was blocked off by police tape during the investigation.

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