A nighttime walk across a South Los Angeles street turned fatal Tuesday when a driver hit a man in his 30s and took off, leaving him to die in the roadway near Figueroa Boulevard and Imperial Highway in Green Meadows, according to police.
Investigators say the man was crossing outside a marked crosswalk when he was struck. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. The driver did not stop and has not been found.
In a Los Angeles Police Department statement, South Traffic Division detectives said they responded after a call reporting the collision at about 9:00 p.m. on Feb. 3. According to the release, the driver failed to stop, identify themselves, or render aid, and the victim's name is being withheld until relatives can be notified. Detectives asked anyone with information to contact Officer Diaz or Sergeant Nily at 323-421-2577.
How To Help Investigators
As reported by CBS Los Angeles, the victim was reported to be 30 years old. Officers have been canvassing the surrounding blocks for surveillance video and witnesses, hoping a camera or passerby caught a critical detail. So far, authorities have not identified a suspect, and the case remains very much active.
Reward And Legal Notes
There is also money on the table. The city's Hit-and-Run Reward Program Trust Fund offers up to $50,000 for information that leads to the identification, arrest and conviction of the driver, according to the LAPD release. Under California law and city rules, any driver involved in a collision must stop and provide aid. When someone is killed or seriously hurt, leaving the scene can bring felony hit-and-run charges.
Tipsters can contact the detectives directly, call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers line at 800-222-TIPS, or send an anonymous tip through the P3 Tips app.
Earlier coverage of previous fatal crashes on the South Figueroa corridor highlighted a pattern of deadly collisions and neighborhood demands for safer crossings. Residents say this latest tragedy is one more entry in a list that is already too long, and they want both answers and real changes to make their streets less deadly.
