LOS ANGELES, CA — An 83-year-old man was struck and killed by a vehicle in Lake Forest Thursday night, and a 48-year-old Lake Forest man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
The fatal crash happened Sept. 10 at about 8 p.m. near Portola Parkway and Market Place, an area near the busy shopping district in Lake Forest.
Deputies responded to the scene after receiving a report of a traffic collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian. When they arrived, they found the elderly man suffering from severe injuries.
He was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The Sheriff’s Department said his name was being withheld pending positive identification and notification of his next of kin.
Driver arrested on suspicion of DUI
The driver involved in the collision was identified by the Sheriff’s Department as Sean Micheal Kooklin, 48, of Lake Forest.
Kooklin was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and booked into the Orange County Jail, according to the department.
The arrest reflects an allegation at this stage of the case and does not establish a criminal conviction. Investigators were continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the collision.
The Sheriff’s Department did not publicly state in its initial release what evidence led deputies to suspect impairment, nor did it provide additional details about the driver’s condition at the time of the arrest.
Fatal crash remains under investigation
The Sheriff’s Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team, or MAIT, is handling the investigation.
Authorities have not publicly released a detailed account of how the pedestrian entered the roadway, the vehicle’s speed, the precise point of impact or whether any other factors contributed to the crash.
The department also has not released the victim’s identity while officials work to complete identification and notify relatives.
Those details can become important as investigators reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the collision.
Crash comes during California pedestrian safety month
The fatal Lake Forest collision occurred during September’s Pedestrian Safety Month in California.
Earlier this month, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department issued a pedestrian-safety reminder encouraging drivers to remain alert around people walking and to slow down, particularly at intersections. The department also specifically advised drivers never to drive while impaired and to be prepared to stop for pedestrians at marked and unmarked crosswalks.
According to the Sheriff’s Department, 1,090 pedestrians were struck and killed in California in 2024, accounting for 28% of all traffic fatalities that year. The department cited the figure as part of its September pedestrian-safety campaign.
Caltrans also maintains a statewide Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety program focused on improving pedestrian safety and reducing injuries and deaths involving people walking and biking on California roads.
The safety guidance is particularly relevant at intersections, where vehicles and pedestrians frequently share the same roadway space. The Sheriff’s Department recommends that drivers slow down at intersections, remain focused and never drive impaired.
Investigators ask for information
The investigation remains active, and authorities are asking anyone who may have information about the collision to come forward.
Anyone with information can contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team at 949-425-1860.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS (847-6227).
The victim’s name and additional details about the crash will be released if and when investigators determine that the information can be made public.
