Man, Dog Killed In Woodbridge By Drunk Driver: Police

WOODBRIDGE, VA — A man and his dog were killed while taking a walk when a driver veered off the road and struck them Saturday night in Woodbridge, police say.

Luis Alfredo Perez, 45, was walking his dog on the sidewalk along Old Bridge Road near Cape Cod Court around 9:45 p.m. when the driver of a 2016 Ford Focus veered off the road and struck both Perez and the dog, according to Prince William County police.

The car continued until it hit a communications box and then a utility pole owned by Dominion Power, police say.

Bystanders attempted to give first aid to Perez, who was taken to a hospital where he later died because of injuries sustained in the crash. The dog, a 5- to 7-year-old Akita, also died, according to authorities.

Investigators determined the driver, identified as Banze Mwenze Gentil, was intoxicated at the time of the crash. Gentil was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, DUI involuntary manslaughter and failure to wear a seatbelt, police said.