A 9-year-old boy was killed and his 19-year-old brother was hospitalized after being struck by a suspected DUI driver in L.A.’s Koreatown neighborhood Thursday night.
Los Angeles police responded to the incident on the 350 block of South New Hampshire Avenue around 7:30 p.m.
The siblings were riding an e-scooter when a suspect driving an RV struck them, police said.
Nadir Gavarreta, 9, was pronounced dead at the scene by authorities. His brother, whose identity was not released, was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
Nadir Gavarreta is seen in an image provided by his family. 
Nadir Gavarreta is seen in an image provided by his family. 
A 9-year-old child was killed and a 19-year-old victim was hospitalized after an RV driver struck them in L.A.’s Koreatown neighborhood on July 31, 2025. (RMG) 
A 9-year-old child was killed and a 19-year-old victim was hospitalized after an RV driver struck them in L.A.’s Koreatown neighborhood on July 31, 2025. (RMG) 
Police were seen performing a breathalyzer test on the suspect before handcuffing him and placing him into a patrol vehicle after a deadly crash in L.A.’s Koreatown neighborhood on July 31, 2025. (RMG) 
Police were seen performing a breathalyzer test on the suspect before handcuffing him and placing him into a patrol vehicle after a deadly crash in L.A.’s Koreatown neighborhood on July 31, 2025. (RMG) 
Police were seen performing a breathalyzer test on the suspect before handcuffing him and placing him into a patrol vehicle after a deadly crash in L.A.’s Koreatown neighborhood on July 31, 2025. (RMG) 
Nadir Gavarreta is seen in an image provided by his family. 
A 9-year-old child was killed and a 19-year-old victim was hospitalized after an RV driver struck them in L.A.’s Koreatown neighborhood on July 31, 2025. (KTLA) 
A 9-year-old child was killed and a 19-year-old victim was hospitalized after an RV driver struck them in L.A.’s Koreatown neighborhood on July 31, 2025. (RMG)
Police were seen performing a breathalyzer test on the suspect, Jimmy Pittman, 46, before he was arrested on DUI charges.
Witnesses told KTLA that Pittman was reportedly speeding down the street just moments before the deadly crash.
“He almost ran me over,” said Candy Williams, a witness. “I got out of the way quickly and then he hit the [siblings]. He was just going too fast.”
It’s unclear if Pittman lived in the RV. Neighbors told KTLA that the number of speeding drivers and criminal activity in the area seems to have increased over the years.
“It’s terrible,” said Ricardo Lopez, a resident. “I would stand there and just see these cars fly by and they don’t even stop at the stop sign.”
“It’s very sad,” said another neighbor, Jessica Escobedo. “My kids [are here] and I don’t feel like Koreatown is safe anymore. I was explaining to my son, ‘That’s why I don’t let you out.’ It’s sad to have our kids inside the house during the summer, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
A GoFundMe page to help the siblings’ family with medical and funeral expenses can be found here.
