Suspects Sought in Death of Man Struck by 3 Hit-and-Run Drivers, Dragged 13 Blocks in West Adams

Detectives are searching for suspects in the death of a 62-year-old man dragged 13 blocks after being struck by three different hit-and-run drivers in West Adams on Thanksgiving. Jihad Muhammad was on foot on Adams Boulevard near West View Street when the first car hit him around 8:40 p.m., the Los Angeles Police Department said in a news release. The white sedan, possibly an Audi A5, was headed east on Adams when it slammed into Muhammad, who was standing in the road outside of a crosswalk, investigators said. Surveillance video shows the car briefly pulled to the side of the road before continuing east. The second car ran over Muhammad seconds later as he lie motionless in the street. That vehicle was possibly a white Cadillac Seville, police said. Minutes later, a bystander spotted the body and stopped to call 911 when Muhammad was struck by the third car, possibly a white or gray Ford Focus. Muhammad became lodged under the vehicle, which drove east down Adams Boulevard nearly a mile before pulling into the Thrifty gas station at the intersection with Crenshaw Boulevard, according to LAPD. Police say the driver of the final vehicle was a black woman around 70 years old. She allegedly pulled up to the gas pumps and got out to see what was under her car, then got back in the vehicle and backed up, dislodging Muhammad’s body. A passenger in her car got out and saw Muhammad on the ground before the vehicle took off, detectives said. All three drivers fled without stoping to render aid to Muhammad, who was pronounced dead at the gas station. Investigators released surveillance video from the initial crash site and Thrifty in hopes that the public can help them identify the individuals involved. It was the fourth deadly hit-and-run in L.A. in the last week, including a second on Thanksgiving that left a man dead in Chesterfield Square. As with any fatal hit-and-run in the city, a $50,000 reward is tied to information leading to an arrest and conviction in the cases. Anyone with information about the West Adams crash can contact Detective Moreno at 424-298-7898, Officer Lopez Del Haro at 323-421-2500 or, after normal business hours, call 323-421-2577. Anonymous tips may be submitted via 800-222-8477 or www.lacrimestoppers.org.