Hit-Run Kills Worker Doing Traffic Study

A man who had been setting up warning cones for a traffic study on the Ventura Freeway was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver near Westlake Village, authorities said Thursday.

David Alan Ewing, 27, of Simi Valley apparently was walking to his truck after setting up orange cones to close off one of the eastbound lanes of the freeway near Westlake Boulevard when he was struck by an eastbound car at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Ewing, a contract worker for the California Department of Transportation studying the weight of vehicles on the freeway, died at the scene, officials said.

CHP Officer Jim Utter said investigators questioned a woman who owns a Volkswagen, but no arrests were made in the case. “We’re pretty sure that is the car that was involved,” Utter said. The woman’s name was not released.

The Volkswagen, with front end damage, was found behind a closed gas station at Lindero Canyon Road and Agoura Road.

Authorities said that shortly after the accident but before the car was abandoned, a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy on patrol saw two people and two cars parked behind the closed station.

“He was not aware of our incident, and he went over there to make sure there wasn’t a burglary in progress,” Utter said.

The deputy talked to the couple and determined there was no burglary, but he filled out a field interview report which included the name of the man and woman, who was the registered owner of the Volkswagen.

A short time later, the deputy heard a police broadcast about the hit and run, remembered the damage to the car behind the gas station and immediately returned, Utter said. The Volkswagen was still there, but the man, woman and the other car were gone.

Though the owner of the damaged car was questioned, CHP officers must complete the investigation before deciding whether to arrest anyone, Utter said. Investigators have found no witnesses to the accident, he said.