A man who got out of his car to possibly check on a mechanical problem was killed on the 405 Freeway in Carson early Sunday when he was struck by a driver who then fled the scene, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The driver of a disabled vehicle pulled to the right shoulder of the southbound 405 near Wilmington Avenue shortly before 2:30 a.m., exited the car and was then struck, according to CHP Sgt. Tim Hall.
“That vehicle fled the scene and was not located,” Hall said.
The victim, whose name has not yet been released, was subsequently struck by multiple other cars. However, the drivers of those vehicles pulled over, according to CHP.
The victim’s vehicle, a black BMW, had significant damage to the driver’s side and the front-left door was nearly ripped off, video from the scene showed.
Hours after the collision, CHP investigators were combing the scene for evidence and looking for possible debris from the hit-and-run driver’s vehicle, according to Hall.
They were also working to determine whether drugs or alcohol might have been a factor in the crash, he said.
All but one southbound lanes were closed while the investigation was conducted, snarling early morning traffic in the immediate area.
The hourslong closure ended shortly after 9 a.m. when the SigAlert was canceled, according to a CHP tweet.
In the wake of the collision, Hall offered some tips to motorists in the event that they encounter vehicle problems while traveling on the freeway. He encouraged drivers to first and foremost exit the freeway before getting out of their vehicles.
“However, if that’s just not possible, look for the widest possible location that you can and get all the way over to the right to allow yourself a space cushion between the traffic that’s oncoming,” he said.
Hall encouraged anyone who witnessed the incident to contact the South Los Angeles CHP Office at 310-516-3355.
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