A hit-and-run collision claimed the life of an 84-year-old woman in Thousand Oaks, authorities reported. The victim, identified as Sheila M. Pluntke, was discovered on 12/31/2023, just after the stroke of midnight, laying injured in a parking lot at 2011 Los Feliz Drive, by personnel who scrambled to her aid but, to no avail she was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The circumstances of the collision remain unclear as the individual who called 911 to report the distressing scene did not witness the collision, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office stated in a news release. In the wake of the incident, the Thousand Oaks Traffic Bureau took charge of the investigation, piecing together the somber puzzle left in a small parking lot's center, hinting at a southbound vehicle through the parking lot as the perpetrator of the act.
Evidence on the scene suggests the vehicle was moving southbound through the parking lot towards Los Feliz Drive when it struck Ms. Pluntke. The incident, now under investigation as a hit-and-run, took a life and ignited a hunt for the driver responsible.
The Traffic Bureau's Sergeant Matt Ogonowski is leading the investigatory charge. He urges anyone with insights into the collision to step forward, with the assurance that Ventura County Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Those who come forward can do so with the promise of anonymity. Calls should be directed to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
