A street vendor has been in the hospital for nearly two weeks after a car barreled into his stand in South Los Angeles last month.
Arnulfo Hernandez, 77, was selling tamales with his wife on Maple Street when the crash happened on June 20 — an incident that his family says changed their lives in a matter of moments.
“He had multiple fractures,” his grandson, Osvaldo Hernandez, told NBC Los Angeles. “He broke his hip on both sides, the left and the right. He had to get a hip replacement surgery. He had fractures in his foot. He had a surgery for that as well.”
Osvaldo Hernandez said his grandparents sold tamales on that corner for 20 years and were able to support themselves running that business.
“He has to learn how to walk again,” he said. “That might take three or four months.”
Video of the aftermath shows the driver of the car who hit him.
“From what we know, the driver was on her phone. I guess she got stuck on her phone,” the grandson said. “She started swerving to the opposite lane. She hit a car, and she kept driving straight, straight into the curb, and that’s where she hit my grandpa and another man.”
The Los Angeles Police Department was not able to confirm what caused the accident.
Arnulfo Hernandez’s family is now turning to donations to help with the mounting medical costs.
“It’s sad to see him like that, but I hope he does come back fine and able to walk again, and our family could go back to just kind of having a peaceful life,” Osvaldo Hernandez said.
He says vendors like his grandparents are often near busy streets. After this incident, he worries about all street vendors and urges drivers to pay attention.
“Be aware of your surroundings. Keep your eyes on the road. Just be alert. Be aware,” he said.