A 23-year-old driver was arrested on suspicion of murder after a suspected street race left an “innocent driver” dead in Hawthorne on Friday afternoon, police said.
Alfredo Perez Davila was driving a silver Chevrolet Cobalt northbound in the 13100 block of Crenshaw Boulevard shortly before 1 p.m. when he allegedly engaged a red Chevrolet Camaro in a “high speed street race,” according to a news release from the Hawthorne Police Department.
At some point, Perez lost control of the vehicle, swerved across all lanes of traffic, struck the center median and became airborne, the release stated. His vehicle went into southbound lanes where it struck a Honda headed in the opposite direction.
Surveillance video from nearby business showed the Cobalt “rolling completely over the top of the Honda” before it came to a rest in the road, police officials said in the release.
The driver of the SUV, identified only as a 35-year-old man, died instantly. His name has not been released.
Authorities said no one else was in the Honda at the time.
Davila complained of pain and was treated at the scene before he was arrested on suspicion of murder, according to the release.
“As a result of this foolishness, the innocent driver of the Honda was killed and the driver of the Cobalt, Alfredo Perez Davila, is now booked into Hawthorne jail on murder charges,” police said in a Facebook post on the department’s page.
Police were asking for the public’s help locating the Camaro’s driver, who fled the scene and remained at-large.
Anyone with information has been asked to call police at 310 349-2708. Those wishing to remain anonymous should contact Crime Stoppers by calling 800-222-8477.