A woman was struck and killed in a hit-and-run in Woodbridge, Virginia, late Saturday night, according to Prince William County police.
A woman was struck and killed in a hit-and-run in Woodbridge, Virginia, late Saturday night, according to Prince William County police.
Carla Andrea Mejia, 27, of Woodbridge, was walking in the westbound lane of Minnieville Road near Bobcat Court wearing “all dark clothing,” when she was struck by a vehicle just before 11:45 p.m., police said.
The woman was pronounced dead on the scene, police said.
*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: #PWCPD crash investigators investigated a #fatal hit and run #crash that occurred on Minnieville Rd near Bobcat Ct in #Woodbridge on February 24. As a result of the crash, a 27-year-old female pedestrian was killed. More info; pic.twitter.com/CeZBrQTp8R
— Prince William County Police Department (@PWCPolice) February 25, 2024
According to police, the car that struck the woman fled the area and did not stop to help her. Police believe that the vehicle is a Hyundai.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact police.
See a map of the area of the crash below.
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SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Officers from the Schenectady Police Department (SPD) report that they witnessed a crash between a car and a pedestrian on Saturday night at approximately 8:15 p.m. The police say that the crash occurred in the area of State Street and Hulett Street.
Police identified the pedestrian as Luis Dones, of Schenectady. Paramedics of the Schenectady Fire Department treated Dones on the scene and then they were transported to Albany Medical Center. Police say Dones remains in critical condition.
SPD identified the driver as Josef Jarvis, of Albany, who remained on the scene and is cooperating with the investigation. Police report that Jarvis was found to have a suspended license and was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation.
Law enforcement says the cause of the crash is still under investigation. Stick with NEWS10 for updates as they become available.
A 5-year-old boy was killed and his grandmother was injured in a hit-and-run crash in Gardena.
The boy, identified as Patrick Chacon of Gardena, and his grandmother were walking in the crosswalk at Marine and Budlong avenues at 10:30 a.m. Sunday when they were struck by a car. The driver fled the scene, according to police.
“Upon arrival, officers found two pedestrians on the roadway,” police said in a statement.
Patrick died at the scene, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said. His grandmother was hospitalized.
Mourners created a memorial at the intersection to commemorate Patrick.
Earlier in the day, another pedestrian had been killed in Gardena just under two miles away.
A female driver hit and killed the pedestrian at 4 a.m. at Vermont Avenue and El Segundo Boulevard, according to police. The driver stayed on the scene.
California drivers will need to double-check where they park this year as a new law on the books has created a no-parking buffer around marked and unmarked pedestrian crosswalks.
Drivers are typically not allowed to park their vehicles in the middle of an intersection, on a crosswalk, in front of marked curbs, in a way that blocks access to fire hydrants or too close to a fire station entrance, among other prohibited parking spots.
Now drivers will need to consider the areas around crosswalks as no-park zones, because of the law that went into effect at the start of the year. Over the next 12 months, drivers will receive a warning if they violate the rule, but citations will start to flow on Jan. 1, according to state officials.
Drivers will need to get into the habit of leaving a 20-foot gap between their vehicle and any marked or unmarked crosswalks. Assembly Bill 413 does not specify what constitutes an unmarked crosswalk and whether that applies to a sidewalk curb or ramp.
Some form of the rule have been implemented in cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Alameda, Calif., and Portland, Ore., according to the bill authors. Other jurisdictions may have their own variations and exceptions to the rule in California. The new law applies to all jurisdictions that have not addressed this parking issue.
Bill author Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-San José) said the concept of leaving a clear line of sight for all modes of transportation is called “daylighting” and aims to prevent a vehicle from obscuring the view of motorists who are approaching a crosswalk.
“Daylighting is a proven way we can make our streets safer for everyone, and 43 other states have already implemented some version of daylighting,” Lee said in a statement that accompanied the bill’s introduction last year. “By making it easier for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists to see each other at intersections, we can take a simple and important step to help us all safely share the road.”
California’s pedestrian fatality rate is nearly 25% higher than the national average, according to the latest data from the California Office of Traffic Safety. Pedestrian fatalities increased from 1,013 in 2020 to 1,108 in 2021 in California, while bicycle fatalities decreased from 136 to 125.
In Los Angeles, 134 pedestrian were killed by drivers from January to October last year and 427 people were severely injured, according to city officials. The numbers represent a 13% hike in pedestrians killed compared with the previous year and an 18% rise in severe injuries, according to Los Angeles officials.
Footage newly released by the Los Angeles Police Department shows how a police cruiser fatally struck 26-year-old Luis Espinoza in Watts in the gathering twilight on Dec. 8.
According to the department, the incident occurred on East Century Boulevard around 5 p.m. City fire paramedics transported Espinoza to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Footage from stationary cameras facing East Century Boulevard shows the police SUV rapidly traveling eastbound on the street with its emergency lights flashing. A slow-motion rendition of the video shows a blurred image of Espinoza running across the street about 75 feet away west of the light at McKinley Avenue, which was green for the cruiser.
There, the cruiser struck Espinoza so violently that his body flew and tumbled into the intersection, crossing the junction and rolling at least 50 more feet, the slow-motion footage shows.
On an audio recording released by the department, a female officer can be heard calling for help after the collision. Another video from a stationary camera shows an officer attending to Espinoza about a minute after the collision, appearing to administer chest compressions.
Police have not released the name of the officer driving the cruiser. According to sources familiar with the investigation, the officer was part of the department’s community safety partnership bureau, which seeks to improve relationships between police and the communities they serve across the city. At the time of the collision, they said, she was running an errand for a member of a youth sports team affiliated with the department.
The 7-plus-minute video released by the LAPD is a combination of dashboard camera footage and clips from stationary locations.
A department spokesperson would not confirm the source of the non-dashboard footage and said there was no further information involving the investigation.
LAPD Capt. Kelly Muniz said in a community briefing Sunday that the investigation into the incident was handled by the department’s multidisciplinary collision investigation team.
She said that the investigation was “still in the early stages” and that a resolution may not happen for months. However, she said the case has been “presented to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office for filing consideration.”
“We also do not draw any conclusions about whether the officers acted consistent with our policies in the law until all the facts are known and the investigation is complete,” she said.
Last month, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said he had “very serious concerns regarding the officer’s driving leading up to the collision.” He also said a separate internal affairs investigation was being conducted.
A pedestrian died after he was hit by an LAPD patrol car in Los Angeles on Friday evening, authorities said.
The crash was reported shortly after 5 p.m. at Century Boulevard and McKinley Avenue, Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Tony Im said. An ambulance was requested for the pedestrian, who was not conscious or breathing, he said.
The man died at the scene, Im said.
An ambulance also was requested for a 30-year-old officer, who suffered pain to her body and was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Im said.
Additional details about the crash were not available.
The incident remained under investigation, Im said.
Glenn Kumro was sitting astride his bike on the Strand in Hermosa Beach after stopping to talk to some friends when something slammed into him from behind.
He tumbled over his handlebars, breaking his shoulder, fracturing his hip and losing two teeth.
A speeding e-biker had hit him, Kumro said recently. The e-biker apologized and admitted to being distracted before riding off.
“Just imagine if it was a kid who got hit,” said Kumro, a 58-year-old disabled veteran, who lived in Hermosa Beach at the time of the accident two years ago and has since moved to Northern California. “Those bikes go way too fast.”
A careless rider on a regular bike could also cause trouble on the beachfront sidewalk that on some stretches is teeming with cyclists and pedestrians as well as skateboarders, rollerbladers and dog walkers.
A man rides his e-bike on the Strand in Hermosa Beach. In Hermosa Beach, it’s against city code to use electric power on the Strand.
(Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
But e-bikes can go up to 28 mph — well above the Strand’s 8 mph speed limit — and are usually heavier and bulkier than regular bikes. They have become increasingly popular in recent years, and some coastal cities have restricted their use.
On the Strand, Hermosa Beach prohibits the use of electric power while permitting e-bikes as long as they’re pedaled manually. Since September, Manhattan Beach has completely banned e-bikes on the Strand, allowing them on city streets and the 22-mile Marvin Braude Bike Trail, which also hugs the coastline.
Redondo Beach, which has a beachfront path separate from the Strand, doesn’t have its own e-bike regulations, but e-bikers must abide by state laws requiring them to follow the same rules as regular cyclists.
E-bikers and e-bike shop owners say the bikes are safe when ridden responsibly. But the number of unsafe riders in the South Bay has left city officials and police grappling with how to keep everyone safe. In Orange County, an abundance of e-bikes on the boardwalk has resulted in collisions with pedestrians and dogs and prompted residents to call for stricter regulations.
Some South Bay residents say the rules aren’t enforced and the bikes are disruptive. They say they often see e-bikers weaving around other cyclists and exceeding the speed limit.
Police officials say e-bike laws are hard to enforce on the Strand, where motorcycles and radar guns aren’t practical. There also aren’t enough officers to routinely station someone there.
“Without a heavy police presence, people are going to do what they want to do,” said Erik Mar, 70, a Manhattan Beach resident who cycles along the coast every day. “It’s kind of lawless.”
Redondo Beach resident Carlos Hernandez, 48, rides his electric bike along the coast nearly every weekend. He starts in the Hollywood Riviera in Redondo Beach and heads north to Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach.
“I use electricity when I need to,” he said — even when he’s on the Strand, where electric power is prohibited. It’s not an issue as long as he’s not riding recklessly, he said.
Hernandez’s friends Sam Valencia and Michael Pacheco, who also live in Redondo Beach, often join him for rides by the beach. Valencia, 48, has a regular bike and is considering buying an e-bike for his 12-mile round-trip commute to El Segundo, where he works for toy company Mattel.
“They go too fast,” he said of e-bikes on the Strand. “They just need to follow the flow down here. It’s not a race. … If you want to ride fast, get on the road.”
People ride an e-bike on the Strand in Hermosa Beach, where the posted speed limit is 8 mph.
(Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
Pacheco, 50, rides an e-bike and says it’s not a big deal to occasionally use electric power on the Strand. He’s seen e-bikes explode in popularity, he said, and knows they can be dangerous when not handled carefully.
All three friends said the reckless riders they see are usually teenagers who speed, race each other and disregard road signs.
Recently, Redondo Beach City Councilman Zein Obagi was walking with his fiancée on his city’s beachfront bike path when a young person on an e-bike sped past them, weaving around pedestrians and other cyclists.
“If he hits somebody, that’s going to be a very tragic accident,” Obagi said. “It is a serious concern of the residents here, and people want something done about it.”
Obagi said the number of e-bikes in the South Bay has “blown up” over the last year. He described their increasing popularity as a double-edged sword.
“It’s a dream to have environmentally friendly micro-transit,” he said, “but it’s a nightmare to have a kid driving 25 miles per hour on an electric bike.”
Obagi said he and his fellow council members support stricter statewide regulations on e-bikes but don’t plan to implement municipal rules in Redondo Beach. The city doesn’t have the resources to set up its own licensing program, he said, and a speed limit would be difficult to enforce. He referenced a speed limit recently implemented in Manhattan Beach, which has not yet resulted in any citations.
He doesn’t blame police for a lack of enforcement — they need to work with parents and schools to make e-bikes as safe as possible, he said.
Hermosa Beach Mayor Justin Massey raised the issue of e-bikes at a City Council meeting Oct. 10, asking Police Chief Paul LeBaron about enforcement.
“We’ve dedicated so much of our time, attention and resources to the Strand in particular,” LeBaron responded. “We know that there’s threats to public safety down there … it’s the one place in the city that actually brings pedestrians and vehicles together, ” he said, referring to e-bikes, regular bikes and skateboards.
In addition to the difficulties of patrolling a narrow, crowded path, it can be hard to tell if e-bikers are using their motors or just pedaling, LeBaron said in an interview.
And pursuing a speeding biker can be dangerous.
“In order for officers to catch that person, they essentially have to break the same rules they’re trying to enforce, endangering everyone on the Strand,” LeBaron said.
Still, there have been no reported collisions on the Strand this year or last, which LeBaron attributed to effective policing.
“We’d be talking about tragedies right now if we weren’t doing what we could,” he said.
In early September, the Manhattan Beach City Council adopted e-bike regulations, including a ban on riding on the Strand, a 15-mph speed limit on the Marvin Braude Bike Trail and prohibitions on racing, stunts and riding on sidewalks.
“While e-bikes have become popular and are a great way to reduce our reliance on cars, pollution, and traffic, they aren’t toys and can be dangerous when not operated properly,” Manhattan Beach Mayor Richard Montgomery said in a statement.
The new ordinance has not led to any citations on the Strand or the Marvin Braude trail so far this year, according to the city clerk’s office.
A woman riders her e-bike on the Strand in Hermosa Beach. In Hermosa Beach, it’s against city code to use electric power on the Strand.
(Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
In February, state Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath (D-Encinitas) introduced a bill that would eventually create a licensing program with a written test for riders without a driver’s license, as well as state-mandated e-bike training. It would also prohibit children under 12 from riding e-bikes.
The Redondo Beach City Council is drafting a letter in support of the bill, Obagi said.
More statewide e-bike laws are desperately needed, said Redondo Beach Police Chief Joe Hoffman.
“Unfortunately, the technology for e-bikes has outpaced the legislation in the state of California,” he said. “It has put police departments at a disadvantage.”
Police on Friday were continuing to investigate why a car crashed into two pedestrians in South Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon, leaving a woman dead and a girl seriously injured.
Around 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, a car was exiting a private property near the intersection of 83rd Street and Western Avenue when it struck a vehicle heading south on Western, said Officer Melissa Ohana, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department.
The car that had been struck then collided with two pedestrians on the sidewalk, a 26-year-old woman and an 8-year-old girl, Ohana said. The woman died at the scene. The child was taken to a hospital, where she remained Friday in critical condition. Ohana said the relationship between the two victims wasn’t clear.
The driver of the car that initiated the chain of collisions, a 58-year-old man, was hospitalized in stable condition. Ohana said it wasn’t clear if alcohol or another intoxicant was a factor in the crash, but she added that detectives will take that into account as part of their investigation.
The driver of the car that struck the woman and child was not hospitalized, Ohana said.
A rare occurrence unfolded Sunday morning on the Arroyo Seco Parkway: No cars were allowed.
Instead, the stretch of the 110 Freeway that snakes its way through South Pasadena and Northeast Los Angeles — usually crammed with motorists — was people-powered and reserved for pedestrians, bicyclists and anyone else who wanted to explore the area from a new perspective.
Hosted by Active San Gabriel Valley and presented by Metro, the free, family-friendly event shut down six miles of the freeway and local streets from 7 to 11 a.m. Pedestrians and bicyclists took over the roads, similar to the open-streets concept behind the car-free CicLAvia events. The emphasis for ArroyoFest is on foot traffic and allowing people to explore the neighborhoods of Lincoln Heights, Cypress Park, Highland Park, Hermon, South Pasadena and Pasadena.
Thousands of bicyclists, rollerbladers, skateboarders, walkers and runners enjoy the Arroyo Seco Parkway (110 Freeway) during 626 Golden Streets ArroyoFest, a sequel to the first ArroyoFest held 20 years ago.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
People enjoy the route by foot and on bike at ArroyoFest, in which the 110 Freeway — the historic Arroyo Seco Parkway — was closed off to cars from roughly its connection with Interstate 5 to its terminus in Pasadena.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Thousands traverse the Arroyo Seco Parkway (110 Freeway) during ArroyoFest, a sequel to the first such event held 20 years ago.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Rollerbladers Jenny Renderos, left, of Panorama City and Veronica Rico of Pacoima pose for a photo in the middle of the 110 Freeway during 626 Golden Streets ArroyoFest.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
An aerial early morning view of the participants in ArroyoFest, which shut down six miles of the 110 Freeway to automotive traffic. The first ArroyoFest was held 20 years ago.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Alex Trepanier, 35, rides his pennyfarthing, the same bike he rode 20 years ago at ArroyoFest when he was a teenager.
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — New Orleans police have identified a car that was involved in a hit-and-run crash that left a man dead.
According to repots, the crash happened at the intersection of Canal Street and N. Rampart Street on Sunday (May 14th). At the scene officers located a unresponsive man lying on the ground who had been hit by a white Chevrolet Camaro.
He was pronounced dead.
Through further investigation officers located the white Chevrolet Camaro after it had been abandoned in the Metairie area.
The crash remains under investigation.
Anyone with additional information that can assist in this investigation is asked to call NOPD Traffic Fatality Detective Richard Chambers at 504-658-6201 or call anonymously to Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-STOP.
