Crash Victims Identified as Scottish Tourists

Two tourists who were struck and killed by a car that careened onto a Marina del Rey sidewalk were identified Tuesday as a couple from Scotland who were only hours away from their flight back home.

James Martin, 62, and his wife, Margaret Martin, 59, of Glasgow, were walking north on Via Marina near Washington Boulevard about 3:30 p.m. Monday when a car driven by 79-year-old Fred C. Alexander of Marina del Rey abruptly swerved onto the sidewalk, sheared off a fire hydrant and struck the couple. The pedestrians were killed on impact.

Alexander, who apparently blacked out at the wheel, and his wife, Esther, 80, were treated for injuries at Daniel Freeman Marina Hospital, authorities said. Alexander, who may have had a heart attack, was later transferred to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in West Los Angeles, said Ed Hofer, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol.

No charges have been filed, Hofer said.

The Martins were carrying plane tickets for a 7:30 p.m. flight to Scotland when they were killed. They are survived by a son, James Martin Jr., who lives in Glasgow.