A pedestrian remains in critical condition after a driver ran a red light, struck them in a crosswalk near National Boulevard and Wesley Avenue, and sped off without stopping on September 30. Nearly three weeks later, Culver City police arrested 29-year-old Los Angeles resident Damaria Moore, crediting automated license plate reader cameras with helping track down the vehicle and, eventually, the driver.
According to KTLA, Culver City police responded to the intersection just after 7 p.m. on September 30 after the suspect ran the red light and struck the pedestrian, who was using the crosswalk at the time. The driver continued speeding away and did not check on the injured victim, police said. The pedestrian was taken to a hospital, where they remained in critical condition, per the same account.
Westside Today, which first reported additional details of the crash, said Culver City Fire Department paramedics treated the pedestrian at the scene before transporting them to a local hospital, where the victim remains in critical condition. Citing witness statements, Westside Today reported that investigators identified the fleeing vehicle as an early 2000s tan or gray Toyota Sequoia traveling southbound at roughly 50 mph before the driver fled toward Schaefer Street.
Cameras Trace the Vehicle Back to a Suspect
Westside Today reported that CCPD detectives used automated license plate reader cameras stationed across the area to track the fleeing SUV and trace it back to Moore. KTLA's account aligns with that outcome, reporting that authorities used the same ALPR technology to identify the car involved and later the suspect driver, Damaria Moore, 29, of Los Angeles.
Moore was located and taken into custody on October 19 on suspicion of felony hit-and-run causing great bodily injury, the station reported. Two days later, on October 21, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office filed felony hit-and-run charges against her, according to the same report. No further details, including the victim's identity, were released, as the incident remains under investigation.
A Growing Tool With Local Limits
The arrest lands amid a broader statewide expansion of license plate reader technology. At least 230 California police and sheriffs' departments have posted the cameras along roadways or installed them on patrol cars, according to KPBS Public Media. The cameras capture and read plate numbers in real time, then cross-reference them with law enforcement databases covering stolen vehicles and other flagged cars, KPBS reported.
In Berkeley, police have reported that license plate readers were used in 121 cases, contributed to 58 arrests and led to the recovery of 37 stolen vehicles, per KPBS. The department's robbery-case clearance rate climbed from 34% in 2024 to 49% in 2025, with the station noting the license plate data as one contributing factor.
Culver City has its own track record with the technology. In April 2025, police said ALPR cameras helped officers recover two stolen vehicles over a single weekend, according to the Daily Breeze. The cameras are placed on public roadways and cross-check captured plates against databases involving stolen vehicles, wanted individuals, missing persons and emergency alerts, the Daily Breeze reported.
But Culver City's use of the technology isn't unrestricted. The City Council voted on a 4-1 margin in July 2025 to curtail, though not cancel, the city's license plate reader program, according to Culver City Crossroads. That vote limited ALPR use to within Culver City, required transparency reports every two months, and called for reviewing, when possible, whether flagged crimes actually originated in the city, per the outlet.
Police are still asking the public for help piecing together what happened at National Boulevard and Wesley Avenue. Anyone with additional information is asked to call Sergeant Tropeano at 310-253-6316.
