Pedestrian Killed in South LA Hit-and-Run on Figueroa Street

Published: October 1, 2026
By: Yaghmai Law Firm, APC

(South Los Angeles, CA) – A pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run early Thursday in the Vermont Knolls neighborhood of South Los Angeles, and investigators were still looking for the motorist who drove off.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the pedestrian was hit at roughly 1:15 a.m. Thursday while crossing Figueroa Street just north of 79th Street. Police said the motorist did not stop and left the scene.

Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics transported the injured pedestrian to a hospital, where the victim later died, police reported. In a statement, the LAPD reminded motorists of their legal obligations after a collision: "Drivers are reminded that if they become involved in a collision, they should pull over and stop as soon as it is safe to do so, notify emergency services, and remain at the scene to identify themselves."

Police noted that the city maintains a standing reward of $50,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in a deadly hit-and-run. The department asked anyone with details to reach the LAPD South Traffic Division.

The area has seen other recent pedestrian hit-and-run crashes. In a separate incident on a Monday night, the LAPD reported that a light-colored sedan heading north on Western Avenue struck two pedestrians near the intersection with 56th Street at about 11 p.m. One of those pedestrians died at a hospital and the other was gravely hurt, police said, and the driver continued northbound and fled.

Analysis of the South LA Hit-and-Run Collision

When a driver leaves the scene of a crash that injures or kills someone, California law treats that departure as a serious matter. Vehicle Code section 20001 requires any motorist involved in an injury or fatal collision to stop immediately and meet the duties set out in section 20003, which include sharing identifying information and rendering reasonable aid to anyone hurt. A violation can be charged as a felony. These statutes describe a legal duty; whether a particular driver breached it is something investigators and, ultimately, the courts would determine from the evidence.

In the civil context, Civil Code section 1714(a) holds everyone responsible for harm caused by a lack of ordinary care. If evidence were to establish that a driver failed to exercise reasonable care, and if a traffic statute such as the pedestrian right-of-way rule in Vehicle Code section 21950 or the basic speed law in Vehicle Code section 22350 were found to have been violated, Evidence Code section 669 may allow a presumption of negligence when the violation proximately caused the kind of injury the statute was meant to prevent. Because the pedestrian here was reportedly crossing outside a described crosswalk in one account, Vehicle Code section 21954 – which addresses a pedestrian's duty to yield while preserving a driver's separate duty of due care – could also enter the analysis, as could the comparative-fault allocation under Civil Code section 1431.2.

When the responsible driver is never identified, as in a hit-and-run, recovery can be difficult. Insurance Code section 11580.2 requires California auto policies to include uninsured motorist coverage unless the insured rejected it in writing, and that coverage can allow an insured or certain heirs to pursue bodily injury damages from their own policy when the at-fault motorist is unidentified. Where a death results, a wrongful death claim under Code of Civil Procedure section 377.60 and a survival action under section 377.30 may be available to the proper heirs or representative, with damages measured under Civil Code section 3333.

What Families and Survivors Can Do

If you lost a loved one or were hurt in a hit-and-run, it helps to obtain the LAPD collision report, preserve any available evidence such as nearby surveillance or dashcam footage, keep records of medical care, and note that a personal injury claim in California generally must be filed within two years under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. Reviewing your own uninsured motorist coverage early can also matter when the driver has not been found.

Were you, or someone you love, involved in this crash? A California pedestrian accident attorney at Yaghmai Law Firm can explain your options and deal with the insurance companies for you. Call or text (888) 800-6731 or request a free case review.

FREE CASE REVIEW →

About the Author

Houtan Yaghmai, Esq., President & Managing Attorney of Yaghmai Law Firm, APC. California State Bar No. 298487. Speaks English, French, and Persian. The firm represents personal injury clients throughout Southern California – consultations by phone, text, or video, no office visits required.

This post was assembled with AI assistance from publicly reported news sources cited below. All California Vehicle Code references were verified against leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Facts were re-checked via additional web searches before publication. This post is based on initial news reports and may be updated as new facts develop. Nothing in this article is legal advice. Yaghmai Law Firm, APC is not associated with the investigating agencies and does not represent any party named in this post unless explicitly stated.

Sources:
1. MyNewsLA – Pedestrian Killed in South LA Hit-and-Run
2. CBS News – 1 pedestrian killed, another severely injured by South LA hit-and-run driver, police say – CBS News