Los Angeles was rocked by a series of deadly traffic incidents on New Year's Eve, culminating in three separate fatal collisions, as reported by the Los Angeles Police Department. The continuous string of tragedies claimed the lives of a father and his daughter and left other family members fighting for their survival. The grim toll of the night also included another pedestrian killed in a separate hit-and-run.
In a press release from the Los Angeles Police Department, just before the stroke of midnight on December 31, a speeding SUV escaped an earlier crash only to barrel into a family car at 60th Pl and Normandie Ave. Jose Manuel Pascagaza, the father, was pronounced dead at the scene, and his daughter, Ana Sofia Cortes Bernal, later died at the hospital. Luisa Arenas Bernal, and the surviving sister, Mia Pascagaza, remain in critical condition. The SUV driver, identified in the collision, stands accused of murder among other charges.
Earlier at around 10:55 PM, a male pedestrian was fatally struck by a northbound vehicle on Western Ave near 247th Pl and was then hit by two other cars, neither of which stopped to render aid. As detailed by Hoodline, responders pronounced the pedestrian deceased on the scene, and authorities are still working to identify the victim and the drivers involved in the hit-and-run. The LAPD is appealing to the public for any leads, dangling a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the responsible parties.
The night's carnage extended beyond these incidents, as yet another pedestrian was killed while crossing La Cienega Blvd outside of the crosswalk roughly five minutes into the new year. The driver, in this case, stayed on the scene and cooperated with police officers, showing no signs of impairment. South Traffic Detectives have taken the lead on the inquiries, as they grapple with the realities of a year that began under the shadow of avoidable death and lamentation.
The LAPD has urged anyone with information about the tragic events to reach out confidentially through the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or through their “P3 Tips” mobile app. As South Los Angeles reels from the New Year's Eve chaos, detectives are working tirelessly to bring closure to the bereaved and justice to the streets where it's been so wrenchingly disrupted.
