The Los Angeles Police Department is searching for the driver involved in a hit-and-run accident that left a pedestrian dead in Van Nuys on Friday night. The victim, a man in his 50s, was walking down Oxnard Street near Woodman Avenue when he was struck by a dark-colored vehicle at around 10:15 p.m. The driver sped away from the scene, leaving the pedestrian dead at the scene.
This is the second fatal hit-and-run accident in Los Angeles in the past two weeks. On Jan. 23, 32-year-old Los Angeles resident Kyle Ray was “possibly in medical distress and passed out in the second westbound lane of 6th Street west of Bonnie Brae,” according to the LAPD. Investigators said a blue Dodge Ram truck traveling west on 6th Street ran over Ray and dragged him 20 feet. The truck is a 2007-2013 Dodge Ram with custom lights and rims, and the track bed has been upgraded with a luggage rack. Video of the crash is posted on Central Traffic’s social media accounts.
According to the LAPD, the law requires drivers involved in a collision to stop and stop as soon as it is safe to do so, notify emergency services and remain at the scene to identify themselves. Anyone with information about the Friday Van Nuys incident can contact the Valley Traffic Division at (818) 644-8036 or (818) 644-8035. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call LA Regional Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477 or visit www.lacrimestoppers.org. Tipsters can also visit www.lapdonline.org and click Anonymous Web Tips under the Participate – Crime Stoppers menu to submit a tip.
The LAPD is offering a reward of up to $50,000 to community members who provide information leading to the identification, arrest or conviction of the hit-and-run driver. The department is urging anyone with information to come forward and help bring justice to the victim and their family.