LOS ANGELES, CA — Police released a disturbing video Wednesday of a pedestrian being struck and killed by three hit-and-run drivers within seconds of each other in the San Fernando Valley.
Investigators hope sharing the footage will lead to the arrest of the drivers who failed to stop and render aid to the injured man. Even in a city with the nation’s worst rate of hit-and-run crashes, the case stunned the community. In less than a minute, three passing drivers struck the man — all leaving him to die on the road.
The first crash happened in the Pacoima area Friday night at 11:45 p.m. on San Fernando Road, according to the Los Angeles Police Department’s Valley Traffic Division. A light-colored pickup truck was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes south of Montague Street when it struck a man in his 20s or 30s as he was crossing the street mid-block.
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The impact threw the man onto the ground in the northbound lanes. Somehow, he survived and was starting to stand up when a second vehicle going northbound on San Fernando Road ran him over.
The second vehicle is described as a light-colored full-size SUV. The force of the second
collision threw the pedestrian onto southbound lanes where he was run over by a third vehicle.
That vehicle was described as a dark-colored mid-size SUV going southbound on San Fernando
Road.
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“All three vehicles failed to stop, render aid, and remain at scene as required by law,” according to the LAPD.
The first and second vehicles that struck the man were last seen headed northbound on San Fernando Road toward Osborne Street. The third vehicle was last seen headed southbound on San Fernando Road towards Branford Street.
The pedestrian died in the street, according to authorities. He’s described by police as a male, possibly Hispanic, in his late 20’s or early 30’s. His name is being withheld pending identification and notification of next of kin by the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.
“Drivers are reminded that if they become involved in a collision, they should pull over and stop
as soon as it is safe to do so, notify emergency services, and remain at the scene to identify
themselves,” the LAPD said in a written statement.
The failure to do stop after hitting someone is a felony punishable by prison, according to authorities.
More than one in 10 fatal crashes in California involve hit-and-run crashes — 66 percent higher than the national average.
To combat the problem, Los Angeles city leaders created a Hit-and-Run Reward Program Trust Fund, offering a reward of up to $50,000 for people who provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of hit-and-run drivers in the city,
Anyone with information about the fatal hit-and-runs is asked to contact Valley Traffic Division
Officer Sison at (818) 644-8022 or Officer Freeman at (818) 644-8115.
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