California mom has both legs amputated after suspected impaired driver plows into her restaurant lunch table

An 81‑year‑old Los Angeles woman is learning to walk again after a suspected drunken driver rammed an SUV onto a sidewalk and into the outdoor patio of a Boyle Heights restaurant last July, costing her both legs.

Cristina Vargas, a widowed mother of two, was sharing lunch with her daughter Gabriela Vargas and a male friend at Los Cinco Puntos on the afternoon of July 7 when a sport‑utility vehicle careened onto the sidewalk at about 3:30 p.m., striking the trio and scattering diners, furniture and debris across the block.

Surveillance video captured the moment the vehicle veered off the street, its tires squealing before impact. Gabriela Vargas recalled the sudden chaos in an interview with KTLA.

“I just heard screeching, I lifted my head and saw headlights and a bumper, and then a big boom,” she said. “The next thing I knew, I was airborne.”

The crash pinned Cristina’s lower body beneath the SUV. Emergency responders freed her and rushed the three victims to a hospital. Gabriela suffered a head injury and a deep laceration on her knee, while the male friend sustained less serious wounds. Both have since recovered.

Cristina’s injuries were far more severe. She underwent three operations and ultimately had both legs amputated below the knee. Despite the life‑altering loss, she has kept a positive outlook.

“Doctors told me I’m lucky to be alive,” she said in a statement released through her family. “I’m focusing on getting stronger every day.”

She is currently receiving physical therapy at a rehabilitation center and is expected to return home soon, where her family plans to adapt the house to accommodate her new mobility needs.

The Los Angeles Police Department said the driver of the SUV was arrested at the scene. A police report alleges she was impaired at the time of the crash, and she now faces multiple felony charges, the nature of which will be detailed in forthcoming court filings.

A GoFundMe campaign created by a friend to help the Vargas family has raised more than $30,000 as of late Sunday night. The fundraiser is intended to offset mounting medical bills, ongoing rehabilitation costs, home modifications for accessibility and specialized care.

“Christina will need significant support to adapt to her new disability,” the campaign description reads. “The road ahead is long and challenging, but with your help, they can focus on healing rather than the overwhelming financial stress.”

Friends and community members who know Cristina describe her as a vibrant, social person who loves dancing and regularly participates in events at a local senior center. “She brings joy and energy wherever she goes,” the GoFundMe page notes. “This sudden change is especially heartbreaking for someone who has always embraced life so fully.”

In an Aug. 17 update on the fundraising page, Gabriela thanked donors for their generosity.

“Thank you everybody for your love and support. We greatly appreciate it,” she wrote. “It’s a slow recovery, but day by day we’re getting through it. My mom’s spirits remain hopeful, as do mine. Recovery is very painful, but she’s giving it her all.”

Family members say they are grateful for the outpouring of assistance and remain focused on Cristina’s long‑term rehabilitation. Community leaders in Boyle Heights have also expressed solidarity, with local senior‑center volunteers organizing additional fund‑raising events in the coming weeks.