A Los Angeles woman in her 30s from South Los Angeles died following a pedestrian accident in which the driver who struck her fled the scene after the fatal car crash. Although the woman was still alive when rescuers arrived at the scene, she suffered extensive brain damage and had to be removed from life support a day or two later.
The woman had been celebrating her birthday at a nearby home with family and friends. Immediately prior to the crash, which was recorded by a street camera, the woman was leaving the company of friends and crossing the street. While she was not in the paint of the crosswalk, she was moving parallel to it and was not walking erratically in the road. A car moving at a high rate of speed blew through the intersection and struck her, sending her flying.
Because the driver left the scene of the accident, police are treating the accident as a crime and have offered a $50,000 award for information about the driver. The family is also seeking answers.
Hopefully, police will locate the driver or, better yet, the driver will do the right thing and come forward. In the meantime, the family of the woman can consider a wrongful death claim, as drivers have a duty to look out for pedestrians, even when they are not walking in the four corners of a crosswalk. Any of our readers who find themselves in a similar position with the death of a family member may need to consider their legal options.
Source: ABC 7, “Violent South LA hit-run crash caught on video; woman on life support,” Anabel Munoz and Leanne Suter, July 13, 2017