Police bodycam footage has been released that appears to show the horrific moments before a 16-year-old in Los Angeles burned to death after a car crash last month, according to the Daily Mail.
Destiny Villanueva, 16, died in a single-car crash after the 14-year-old driver smashed into a light pole while attempting to flee from the police. The police tried to pull the vehicle over after realizing that its headlights were out around midnight on February 20.
The recently released bodycam footage revealed that one officer on the scene said, “It’s rainy conditions, we’re not going to go in pursuit.”
Shortly after the officer’s comments, surveillance footage gathered from across the street captured the moment the Toyota Camry struck a light pole at Balboa and Ventura Boulevard at a high speed, per the report.
After the accident, police officers can be seen rushing over to the vehicle. “Can you get out?” one officer asked.
The driver responded, “No.” The report noted that the door would not open.
One of the three girls in the vehicle can be heard saying: “I can’t get out, my leg’s hurting.” The officers then break the mangled car windows and slice open the airbag with a pocket knife.
As the flames continued to get worse, the officers told the girls that “[y]ou have to get out of the car, get out.”
The driver and the 18-year-old passenger eventually squeezed out of the vehicle, but Villanueva was still trapped in the backseat. KABC reported that Villanueva passed away at the scene.
The authorities confirmed that the three people in the car were friends and lived near each other.
When firefighters eventually made it to the accident, they found Villanueva wedged under the driver’s seat. The 16-year-old was described by family and friends as a “precious daughter whose light was extinguished far too soon.”
The family set up a GoFundMe following the accident, writing: “Please consider making a donation in honor of Destiny … Your generosity will provide Angie with the support she needs to focus on what truly matters—honoring the memory of her daughter and finding solace in the midst of this tragedy.”
“Your kindness and compassion will forever be appreciated by Angie and all who love her.”
At the time of this report, the GoFundMe account had raised $4,026 of its $10,000 goal.
The incident remains under investigation, per reports. It is not clear if the vehicle was stolen or if it belonged to one of the girls’ families.
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