A man and his dog were killed in Woodbridge, Virginia, Saturday night after they were struck by a man driving under the influence, according to Prince William County police.
Just after 9:30 p.m., 40-year-old Banze Mwenze Gentil, of Woodbridge, was driving intoxicated along Old Bridge Road just past the intersection with Cape Cod Court when his car, a 2016 Ford Focus, drove onto the sidewalk, according to a police statement.
It was there he struck 45-year-old Luis Alfredo Perez and his dog as they were walking on the sidewalk.
After striking Perez and his dog, police said Gentil continued to drive his car until it collided with a communications box and Dominion power pole, which snapped and fell into the street.
Bystanders and responding officers provided first aid to Perez until rescue personnel arrived at the scene and he was taken to a hospital for treatment, where he later died of his injuries. His dog, a 5- to 7-year-old male Akita breed, died at the scene, police said.
Gentil was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, DUI involuntary manslaughter and failure to wear a seat belt.
He is being held without bond and his court date is pending.
