A quiet pre-dawn in Playa del Rey turned tragic on Sunday when a hit-and-run crash killed a 25-year-old man and a 1-year-old child, leaving neighbors to gather at a growing roadside memorial while police searched for the driver. The deadly collision unfolded at the beachside intersection of Vista del Mar and Culver Boulevard, where witnesses say the driver bailed out and ran from the scene. By afternoon, flowers, candles, and handwritten notes lined the corner as investigators worked leads and reviewed video.
Police say the two-car collision happened around 4:34 a.m., when a southbound vehicle crossed into the northbound lane and slammed into an oncoming sedan, injuring four people. Paramedics pronounced a 25-year-old man dead at the scene and rushed a 1-year-old to the hospital, where the child later died; two others were hospitalized in critical condition. The Los Angeles Police Department says the driver, described by witnesses as fleeing on foot, is still on the run, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Video shared with local outlets appears to show a white Jeep smashing into a blue sedan and the driver sprinting north on Vista del Mar immediately after impact. Family members at the memorial told reporters the victims included an uncle and his 1-year-old nephew, while neighbors said speeding on the downhill stretch has been a long-standing neighborhood complaint. Eyewitness accounts of the crash and the emotional vigil were captured by ABC7 Los Angeles.
Pier Evacuated, Reopened After Threat
Farther down the coast, the Redondo Beach Pier was briefly turned into a crime scene on Sunday morning after a 911 caller reported a possible hostage situation or explosive threat, prompting an all-hands response from police and bomb technicians. Officers cleared the busy oceanfront landmark and swept the area with explosive-detection K-9 teams before giving the all-clear early in the afternoon.
The pier reopened to the public shortly after 1:30 p.m., and organizers of a planned festival pushed back opening times while law enforcement finished methodical searches. The FBI assisted local authorities as they worked to track down the source and credibility of the threat, according to CBS Los Angeles.
Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak Aboard Cruise Ship
Health officials are investigating a suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius that has left three passengers dead and several others ill while the vessel sits anchored off Cape Verde. At least one case has been confirmed in the lab, and the World Health Organization says it is coordinating with local officials to move critically ill patients off the ship and evaluate the broader public-health risk, as reported by the Associated Press.
Infectious-disease researchers note that hantaviruses are carried by rodents and are rare, but when they do infect humans, they can trigger severe respiratory illness. Scientists are watching the case cluster closely and awaiting additional lab results to understand how widely the virus may have spread, per Nature.
Former MLB Player Testifies In Westlake Village Case
In a San Fernando Valley courtroom, former MLB shortstop Royce Clayton took the stand this week in the wrongful-death civil trial stemming from the 2020 Westlake Village crash that killed two young brothers. Clayton testified that former Dodger pitcher Scott Erickson told him he saw Rebecca Grossman’s vehicle hit the boys, and Clayton grew emotional as he recounted that phone call and said he believes Erickson should be held responsible, as detailed by the Los Angeles Times.
NBC Los Angeles has also followed the proceedings, noting that Grossman was convicted in 2024 and is serving a 15-year-to-life sentence, while the boys’ family pursues damages in civil court.
Legal angle
The civil suit gives jurors a separate venue to decide whether Grossman, Erickson, or both should be held financially liable for the boys’ deaths, a process that can bring in witnesses and expert testimony that never appeared in the criminal trial. Jury selection and early local coverage suggest the case could stretch over several weeks, with accident reconstruction specialists and eyewitnesses expected to take the stand, according to KNX News.
Weather Snapshot
A quick-hitting coastal low is set to drag a bit of moisture across Southern California, bringing a 10% to 30% chance of scattered showers to some areas early this week before a noticeable warmup arrives. Forecasters say residents should be ready for on-and-off sprinkles Monday and Tuesday, followed by clearing skies and stronger sunshine by midweek.
By late week, inland temperatures could jump into the 80s and 90s as high pressure takes over, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.
