A silver four-door sedan plowed into a 69-year-old woman as she crossed the street in Sherman Oaks last month, then sped away without stopping to help, leaving her with severe injuries. Los Angeles police are now asking the public for help tracking down the driver, who remains unidentified two weeks after the crash.
The collision happened around 7:50 a.m. on October 28, when the sedan was traveling east on Hatteras Street and struck the woman as she used the crosswalk at Willis Avenue, according to MyNewsLA. The driver failed to stop, identify themselves, or render any aid before leaving the scene, the outlet reports. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics arrived and took the woman to a hospital with severe injuries, per the same account.
LAPD Valley Traffic Division detectives have since released video showing the suspected vehicle in hopes that someone can identify the driver, according to Patch. As reported by CBS News, Los Angeles police are actively searching for the driver responsible for the crash near the Hatteras Street and Willis Avenue intersection.
Reward Offered, but Tip Line Details Differ
A reward of up to $25,000 is available for information leading to the driver's identification, apprehension, and conviction under the city's Hit-and-Run Reward Program, Patch notes. People with information are asked to contact Valley Traffic Division Officer Reyes at 818-644-8114, per the outlet's report.
Reports differ on how anonymous tips can be submitted. Patch states that anonymous tips can be submitted to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers by calling 800-222-8477 or visiting lacrimestoppers.org, while CBS News reports that anonymous tips can be submitted online at lacrimestoppers.org or by calling 1-877-222-8477. Anyone with information is encouraged to use the lacrimestoppers.org website directly if there is any confusion over the phone number.
Part of a Troubling Pattern on Sherman Oaks Streets
This is not the only hit-and-run to rattle the neighborhood in recent memory. In January, a Maserati driver fatally struck an 80-year-old pedestrian and his dog and fled the scene, later abandoning the damaged vehicle without license plates a few blocks away, according to the Los Angeles Times. Officials offered a $50,000 reward in that case for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
In a separate incident, a driver struck and severely injured a 63-year-old woman as she crossed Costello Avenue in a marked crosswalk on September 6. Police later sought help identifying the driver. The woman was hit by the driver of a black Hyundai sedan that had made a left turn from Ventura Boulevard.
For now, the driver who struck the 69-year-old woman on Hatteras Street remains unidentified, and investigators are relying on the public and the newly released video to move the case forward.
