Man Killed Crossing Street; Driver Attacked

A 63-year-old Van Nuys resident was struck and killed by a car as he crossed Woodman Avenue, prompting his distraught companion to attack the driver with a bag of tools, police said Tuesday.

The victim, Shalom Tradunski, was pronounced dead at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Van Nuys shortly after the accident at 9:30 p.m. Monday, said Detective Dennis Ulick of the Valley Traffic Division. Driver Alexander Paoli, 22, of Studio City was treated at the scene for a cut to the shoulder as a result of the attack.

No one had been cited Tuesday but the accident and ensuing assault remained under investigation, Ulick said. He would not identify the 61-year-old woman, also of Van Nuys, who was walking with Tradunski and attacked Paoli after the accident.

“I’m sure it was just an emotional outburst, but nonetheless a crime report was taken,” Ulick said.

Ulick said investigators hope to determine whether poor lighting contributed to the accident because Paoli, who was driving about 35 m.p.h., told police that he did not see the pedestrians until it was too late. Another motorist who witnessed the accident said he had noticed Tradunski just before he was hit, but with difficulty because of the darkness.

In addition, Tradunski was crossing the street in the middle of the block when he was hit, Ulick said.