A 62-year-old man using a walker was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while crossing in a marked crosswalk at Vermont Avenue and West 83rd Street in South Los Angeles at approximately 10:40 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 13.
The driver, who was heading northbound on Vermont Avenue, fled without stopping or helping the victim, according to the LAPD. No suspect has been identified and no vehicle description has been released.
Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics transported the man to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His identity has not been released pending notification of next of kin.
Officer Diaz and Detective II Nily of LAPD's South Traffic Division are leading the investigation. They can be reached at 323-421-2577.
Video from the scene showed officers investigating the crash alongside the crumpled remains of a wheeled walker left next to the curb, NBC Los Angeles reported.
$50,000 reward
A reward of up to $50,000 is available through the city's Hit-and-Run Reward Program for information leading to the driver's identification, arrest and conviction. The Los Angeles City Council created the trust fund in 2015.
The crash adds to a grim pattern on Vermont Avenue, which the Los Angeles Department of Transportation has designated part of the city's Vision Zero High Injury Network. That network covers just 6% of LA's 6,500 street miles but accounts for 65% of all severe and fatal crashes, according to a pedestrian safety report citing LADOT data.
In 2025, traffic collisions in Los Angeles killed 290 people, including more than 150 pedestrians. It was the third consecutive year traffic deaths outpaced homicides citywide. Hit-and-run crashes account for roughly 25–30% of pedestrian fatalities in the city, according to that report's analysis of LAPD data.
The LAPD's 77th Street and Southeast divisions in South LA each recorded 31 traffic deaths in 2024, among the highest of any division citywide.
How to submit a tip
Anyone with information can contact South Traffic Division detectives at 323-421-2577 during business hours or call 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247) on evenings and weekends. Anonymous tips can go to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477), through the Crime Stoppers website, or through the "P3 Tips" mobile app.
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