A 58-year-old man volunteering at a Sylmar food drive died Friday after being struck while loading food into a car, officials said.
The victim, a San Fernando resident, was “pinned between two vehicles” in a parking lot on El Casco Street and Glenoaks Boulevard during a food giveaway around 7:45 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
He was taken to a hospital where he died, officials said.
The driver, a participant of the food giveaway, remained at the scene and no foul play was suspected, according to police.
“I understand the public’s anxiety and urgency to get the resources they need for their families; however, we can’t afford to put even more lives at risk,” Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, chair of the city’s public safety committee, said. “I urge the public to exercise greater caution and honor operating guidelines and exercise patience while you wait in line.”
The food bank is one of six that have been set up in Rodriguez’s district in the northeastern San Fernando Valley during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the unemployment rate surges in California.
While her office has been working to help ease traffic congestion and monitor flow at the drives, Rodriguez said she will introduce legislation to increase on-site traffic safety measures to ensure proper loading procedures in light of this incident.
