A traffic collision between an elderly driver and pedestrian in Koreatown turned deadly Tuesday when police say a second driver sped by and hit both of them, killing one.
The initial collision occurred around 5:55 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department, when an 83-year-old man driving east on 3rd Street turned left onto Virgil Avenue and hit a 70-year-old woman.
The driver exited his vehicle to help the woman when a second vehicle on Virgil hit them both and fled the scene. Officials have not yet determined how fast both vehicles were moving at the time.
Both the man and woman were taken to the hospital, where the woman was pronounced dead. The man was listed in stable condition, police said.
The woman’s name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
David Cuellar, a public information officer with LAPD, said there was no information immediately available about the hit-and-run driver of the vehicle.
The West Traffic Division is now investigating the case and is offering up to a $50,000 reward to community members who may be able to help in identifying the driver.
According to LAPD traffic detectives, to date there have been more traffic collisions this year in the the Olympic division, which includes Koreatown, than the past two years, but the number of fatal crashes has fallen.
