Los Angeles police are currently on the pursuit of an individual associated with a hit-and-run incident that resulted in the tragic death of 80-year-old Andriy Korshunov and his dog, as reported by CBS News Los Angeles. The event occurred late Tuesday night in Sherman Oaks and involved a Maserati, which was later found abandoned with considerable damage and missing license plates.
While running northbound on Woodman Avenue and crossing Moorpark Street, the luxury vehicle struck Korshunov and his dog, Berta, during their evening walk. Located nearby on Mammoth Avenue, witnesses spotted the grey Maserati Quattroporte with significant damage. Despite this eyewitness account, taken into custody, no arrests have made, the suspect remains at large according to KTLA.
Korshunov, identified by his daughter Ilana Ceitlin, was a recent refugee from Ukraine, having only lived in the U.S. since 2022. In a statement obtained by CBS News Los Angeles, Ceitlin reminisced, "He was so kind and he loved this country and was very grateful for America to give him a peaceful life." Berta, besides being a loved pet, was also a service dog, assisting Korshunov with anxiety from a car accident that happened back in 2003.
According to an NBC Los Angeles interview, the family is devastated, with Ceitlin expressing despair at the loss of her father, "I feel like, 'What am I living for?' Now, I feel like, 'What am I living for?' I don't know what I'm living for." Through the Los Angeles Administrative Code's Hit-and-Run Reward Program Trust Fund, a standing reward of up to $50,000 is being offered for information that leads to the identification and arrest of the suspect. Meanwhile, the family has organized a GoFundMe to manage the costs related to transporting Korshunov's remains back to Ukraine, as mentioned in KTLA.
LAPD's Valley Traffic Division is urging anyone with knowledge of the collision to reach out and contact (818) 644-8116 to provide any valuable information. The hit-and-run fatality, which has deeply stirred the Sherman Oaks community and beyond, paints a grim picture of the consequences of reckless driving and the ongoing search for accountability in the wake of tragedy.
