Detectives are asking the public for help Thursday in their search for a hit-and-run driver who struck and killed a 74-year-old pedestrian in the Hyde Park neighborhood of South Los Angeles last month.
The pedestrian was walking west on Hyde Park Boulevard with the assistance of a cane about 9:40 p.m. March 19 when he was struck by a vehicle as it travelled north on Crenshaw Boulevard, the Los Angeles Police Department stated in a news release.
The impact caused the victim, identified by police as John Draper, to fall and hit the roadway.
Draper sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, the Police Department stated.
“He’s an elderly man. He was walking with a cane. It was a pretty horrific scene,” detective Ryan Moreno said.
The driver fled north on Crenshaw Boulevard without stopping.
Investigators described the hit-and-run driver’s vehicle as a gray Ford F-150 pickup truck with Arizona license plates.
A reward of up to $50,000 is available for information leading to the driver’s identification, apprehension and conviction.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact LAPD detectives at 323-421-2500. Those who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
