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Mercedes Driver Fatally Hits Man in Studio City, Carries Him 100 Yards, Flees The Scene
Caution tape photo by Scott Rothstein via Shutterstock
A pedestrian was killed in Studio City last night after getting struck by a white Mercedes, carried about the length of a football field and then abandoned.
The name of the 35-year-old victim from Santa Monica has not been released. Police told City News Service that the victim was likely drunk when he tried to cross Ventura Boulevard far from any crosswalk. A white Mercedes heading eastbound struck the man near Fairway Avenue and carried him 100 yards before fleeing the scene. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Now police are looking for the driver and the Mercedes involved. They're assuming the front of the car and maybe even the windshield has some serious damage. Police told ABC 7 that the car had black paper plates with the word "Encino" written in yellow.
A random detail police shared: the victim had been eating a sandwich on the curb of Ventura Boulevard before he started to head down the street and attempt to cross the street. The car managed to carry him back to where he had left his sandwich. We're not sure what we're supposed to do with this tidbit of information—but perhaps it will jog the memory of a passer-by? If you do know something, you can find out information about how to contact police here.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the only hit-and-run in the Valley last night: a 22-year-old Van Nuys man was critically injured last night just before 2 a.m. while retrieving his car from a valet in Sherman Oaks. That crash also happened on Ventura Boulevard, and police are looking for the driver of a Hyundai who fled the scene.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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