KNBC-4 is reporting that a man was killed by a hit-and-run driver in the Sepulveda Basin Friday night.
According to the station, the man was riding south on a dark stretch of Woodley Ave near Victory Blvd when he was struck by a motorist shorty after 8 pm, and thrown roughly 45 to 50 feet from the point of impact.
The victim, identified only as 45-year old man, died at the scene.
The suspect vehicle is described only as a silver SUV with likely front end damage; there’s no description yet of the heartless coward who left him to die alone in the street.
Hopefully we’ll learn more in the morning.
This is at least the 16th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fifth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; it’s also the fourth in the City of Los Angeles.
Six of those SoCal deaths have been hit-and-runs, as have four of the five deaths in LA County.
As always, there is a standing $50,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the driver in any fatal hit-and-run in the City of Los Angeles.
Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division Investigator Hansen at 818/644-8115 or Investigator Reyes at 818/644-8022.
Update: The victim has been identified as Jose Pineda, no age or city of residence given.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jose Pineda and his loved ones.
Thanks to Erik Griswold for the heads-up.
Just a reminder that a motor vehicle only has to be going 23 MPH to be as deadly as a handgun (9% fatality rate per impact)
Where did the culture of Hit and Run come from?
Not surprising, the west side of the road has a good bike path but the east side has nothing. Not even a sidewalk. Also the only way to safely cross the road was a tunnel located at the far north end of the road close to the metro stop and the city closed it down because they wanted to keep homeless people out. Maybe the city could put some kind of a sidewalk on the east side of the street.