KTLA

1 dead, 2 injured after driver in stolen Amazon truck crashes into building in South L.A.; suspect in custody

A man was killed and two other people were injured after a suspect crashed a stolen Amazon truck into a building in South Los Angeles Thursday afternoon, police said.

The crash was reported about 2:15 p.m. near the intersection of 48th and Main streets, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

A suspect had apparently stolen an Amazon vehicle during a delivery at Woodlawn Avenue and 41st Place before losing control and crashing into parked vehicles about a half-mile away.

The truck ended up on the sidewalk and struck three people, including a man who was pinned between the vehicle and the building, police said.

Two people suffered minor injuries, but a man in his 60s — described as a food vendor died at the scene.

After the crash, the driver allegedly jumped out of the truck and ran away. A bystander who witnessed the collision spotted the suspect and alerted authorities, police said.

The unidentified driver was eventually taken into custody. He was originally described as being in his 20s, though police later said he is 37 years old.

“A citizen who witnessed the crash followed the suspect and called 911, giving directions of travel where the suspect was going,” said Detective Juan Campos of the LAPD. “That citizen was crucial in this investigation.”

Aerial video from Sky5 showed the truck on the sidewalk and two other vehicles with damage.

“I survived by a miracle, and the other guy didn’t make it,” a witness who only wanted to be identified as Gustavo told KTLA. “I’m still shaking because it could have been me.”