June 5th ─ one man is dead and a woman, who was identified as his wife, suffered serious injuries after having been hit by an SUV on Friday evening. The incident occurred sometime around 6:30 p.m. when police received calls about a car that had hit two joggers and flipped over on Melrose Drive near Shadowridge Drive in Vista. The couple was on the sidewalk going northbound on Melrose Drive, when they were struck by the SUV. The husband and wife were later identified as 40-year old Nanglee Vang and 30-year old Molly Vang. Nanglee was killed instantly by the impact of the SUV, while his wife was thrown from the sidewalk into some bushes along the embankment. The SUV then flipped over, landing on the roof with the driver stuck inside. Firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life to extricate the driver from his vehicle. Authorities identified the driver as a 24-year old resident of San Diego.

The crash sent residents of nearby apartments rushing outside to lend assistance. One resident, Natalie Nordean, had been in her dining room about to have dinner with her family when she heard the crash.

“You hear this sound — it was so loud, so horrible, and it was because this car was just rolling in mid-air,” said Nordean.

Nordean ran out her front door where she said she saw a man lying dead in the street. She then hurried to the overturned SUV where she saw the driver trapped inside the mangled wreck. Nordean and other residents held his hands, talking to the driver and trying to keep him focused while they waited for first responders to arrive.

“We were both trying to keep him with us, I just did it to help save these people in some way, get them through until somebody showed up”, Nordean said.

Once first responders and firefighters arrived, Nordean says she backed away and turned her attention to the woman in the bushes, who also appeared seriously injured. Nanglee Vang was pronounced dead at the scene. Molly Vang and the driver were both taken to a local hospital and are listed in serious condition.

Family members told authorities that this was the couple’s favorite spot to jog. The couple moved to California from Colorado, roughly a year ago, to be closer to family members. They settled their family of 5 children in Vista.

“Family was his constant focus. Family was everything,” said Gao Calderon sister of the deceased Vang.

Nanglee Vang and his Hmong family escaped from Laos to Thailand when he was just a young boy. Nanglee and his family came to the United States as refugees, nearly 30 years ago. Nanglee Vang is survived by his wife and 5 young children ranging in age from 16-years to 3-years old.

The investigation is ongoing but authorities have determined that alcohol was a factor in the hit-and-run. The driver is under police supervision and will be arrested once he recovers. No other information on the suspect has been released to the public.

If you or a loved one has suffered a car accident in Las Vegas, Henderson or Reno, Accident Attorney Robert Koenig strongly encourages you to call our car accident attorneys at 1.877.722.9777 for a free consultation. Our highly skilled and experienced attorneys will provide you with the best legal representation and guidance that you need. Our offices are conveniently located throughout California and we conduct regular travels in the region to meet with clients.