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About 7:30 p.m. Wednesday Kenneth Cooper, 50, sped through a red light at 5th and Clearfield streets and plowed into a car that had a green light, said Officer Christine O'Brien, a police spokeswoman.
Cooper's 2008 Honda Civic then jumped a curb and struck Sofia Vargas, who was walking. Before Cooper finally came to a stop, he had hit three parked cars, O'Brien said.
Vargas, who until recently had lived with her son on Potter Street near Ontario, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her son, Miguel Custodio, 21, described Vargas as "a perfect mom."
Sofia Vargas also is survived by a daughter, Sarah Andino, 29.
Cooper, of Water Street near Ontario, was taken to Temple University Hospital for minor head injuries, police said. There, police took a sample of his blood, said Sgt. Albert Gramlich of the Accident Investigation Division.
Cooper apparently had been drinking and also admitted to police "to taking some narcotics," Gramlich said.
He was charged with involuntary manslaughter, homicide by vehicle, driving under the influence and related offenses, Gramlich said.
According to court records, Cooper has an arrest history that dates back to 1977. He has served time for a variety of crimes, including arson, burglary, possessing an instrument of crime and simple assault.
A viewing for Vargas will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Compagnola Funeral Home, 5th Street near Cayuga.
Interment will be at 10 a.m. Friday in the Greenmount Cemetery, on Front Street near Hunting Park Avenue.
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