A pedestrian crossing Imperial Highway near the 1300 block in Willowbrook was struck by a light-colored SUV and then run over by a second vehicle shortly before 10 p.m. Sunday, and died at the scene. The SUV driver, heading eastbound, fled without stopping to identify themselves or render aid, while the driver of the second vehicle, traveling westbound, pulled over immediately, stayed put, and called for emergency help.
According to KTLA, the pedestrian was killed after being struck by both vehicles as they crossed the roadway. The victim's identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, a standard practice under state law that governs how the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner handles fatal traffic cases. Police have not released any further description of the fleeing SUV or its driver.
One Driver Stopped, One Drove Off
The contrast between the two drivers' actions carries real legal weight. Under California Vehicle Code Section 20001, any driver involved in a collision that results in injury or death is required to immediately stop, exchange identification, and render reasonable aid, regardless of who caused the crash, as outlined by Eisner Gorin LLP. The second driver appears to have met that obligation by pulling over and summoning help. The first driver did not.
That distinction could prove decisive if investigators identify the SUV driver. Leaving the scene of a crash that causes death or permanent, serious injury is a felony in California, carrying two, three, or four years in state prison, up to a year in county jail, and fines between $1,000 and $10,000, according to Justia Law. The fleeing driver now faces that exposure if South Traffic Division detectives track them down.
A $50,000 Reward and a Detective's Direct Line
Police are reminding the public that a reward of up to $50,000 remains available for information leading to the identification, apprehension, and conviction or civil compromise of the driver who fled. That standing reward traces back to a 2015 Los Angeles City Council action that created the Hit-and-Run Reward Program Trust Fund specifically to encourage tips in unsolved fatal cases, per LAPD Online.
Anyone with information is asked to contact South Traffic Division Detective Cummings at 213-479-6416. Tipsters who want to remain anonymous can instead call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477, submit a tip online, or use the P3 Tips app, which relies on encrypted identification codes so callers never have to reveal their identity while still qualifying for a reward of up to $1,000 upon a felony arrest.
Another Fatal Crash on a Dangerous Corridor
Imperial Highway sits along the boundary between the City of Los Angeles and unincorporated Willowbrook, which is otherwise policed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Century Station. But because this crash occurred on the city-controlled stretch of the highway, LAPD's South Traffic Division is leading the investigation rather than county sheriff's deputies.
The corridor is also part of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation's High Injury Network, the roughly 6% of city street miles where an estimated 65% to 70% of all pedestrian and cyclist fatalities and severe injuries occur, according to LADOT's Vision Zero data. It is not the first fatal hit-and-run detectives have worked along this stretch: South Traffic Division previously investigated a late-night crash on Imperial Highway in which an eastbound driver struck a 62-year-old pedestrian near San Pedro Street and fled toward Avalon Boulevard.
The Willowbrook crash also lands amid a string of fatal hit-and-runs that South Traffic Division detectives have worked across South Los Angeles this month, including cases on Western Avenue and along South Broadway and San Pedro Street. Not every recent South LA crash has ended with a driver fleeing — in one case earlier this month, a driver who struck and killed 57-year-old Aubrey Player stayed at the scene, a contrast Hoodline detailed in its prior coverage. Whether nearby surveillance cameras captured the fleeing SUV's license plate, and whether lighting or crosswalk access played a role in the crash, remain open questions as detectives continue asking witnesses to come forward.
