LOS ANGELES, CA – Police are searching for a driver who fled after fatally striking a person late Saturday night in the Florence neighborhood of South Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The collision was reported around 11:33 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, near the intersection of East 68th Street and Avalon Boulevard. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed that the crash was a fatal hit-and-run.
Police said the vehicle involved was a gray pickup truck. The make and model of the truck had not been confirmed as of Sunday, Oct. 11.
Officers closed a portion of Avalon Boulevard while investigators examined the scene.
Gray pickup described as suspect vehicle
The LAPD described the suspect vehicle only as a gray pickup truck. Police have not confirmed its make or model.
According to initial reports from witnesses, the truck was a gray Ford pickup that was last seen traveling westbound from the scene. That description has not been confirmed by police.
The LAPD has not released a description of the driver. Anyone who saw a gray pickup leave the area of Avalon Boulevard and East 68th Street around the time of the collision may have information useful to investigators.
Avalon Boulevard closed between 68th and 70th streets
Officers shut down Avalon Boulevard between 68th and 70th streets while investigators documented and examined the crash site. The stretch is in Florence, a neighborhood in South Los Angeles.
The department did not say in the information available Sunday when the roadway reopened.
Victim not yet identified
Authorities did not immediately release any information about the person who was struck. The victim’s age, gender and condition at the time officers arrived were not made public.
In Los Angeles County, the Medical Examiner determines the identity and cause and manner of death in cases of this kind, and the name of a person who dies is typically released only after next of kin have been notified. The LAPD has not said whether the victim was on foot, on a bicycle or in another vehicle.
The circumstances leading up to the collision remain under investigation.
Separate fatal hit-and-run reported Friday in Florence
A different fatal hit-and-run occurred in Florence the night before. The LAPD South Traffic Division said a man in his mid-30s riding an electric scooter was killed around 9:45 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, on Broadway at 85th Street after he was struck and dragged by two vehicles whose drivers did not stop.
That crash happened at a different location and involved different vehicles. There is no indication in the available information that it is connected to the Avalon Boulevard collision.
Reward program for hit-and-run cases
The City of Los Angeles offers rewards of up to $50,000 in many fatal hit-and-run cases for information that leads to the identification, arrest and conviction of the driver. No reward had been announced in the Avalon Boulevard case as of Sunday.
The LAPD South Traffic Division takes hit-and-run tips from the public at 323-421-2577. Anyone with information about the Avalon Boulevard crash is asked to contact the LAPD.
No arrest announced in Florence crash
The LAPD had not announced an arrest or released suspect information as of Sunday. The department had not publicly identified the victim, and the investigation into the crash remains active.
