4 Relatives on Way to Dinner Hurt by Hit-And-Run Driver

Four relatives walking to Thanksgiving dinner Thursday evening were struck on Victory Boulevard by a hit-and-run motorist who police suspect was driving under the influence of alcohol.

Eight people were carrying food to an apartment in the 11800 block of Victory Boulevard shortly before 6 p.m., according to Valley Traffic Det. Mani Mata. As they prepared to cross Victory Boulevard near Morella Avenue, they saw a small car driving in the inner westbound lane. Half the group stopped, while four others tried to cross the street in the middle of the block.

The vehicle hit the pedestrians and its driver kept going, hitting a parked car farther down Victory Boulevard before leaving the scene, Mata said.

The driver “was probably driving under the influence,” Mata said. “We have some information and some leads. We are looking for a foreign car--yellow, older, dirty.” Police are unsure of the make and did not specify whether the driver was a man or woman.

All four victims remained hospitalized Friday.

Maria Abaloni, 46, was in critical condition with broken legs and dislocated shoulders, and Casta Ruiz, 70, was in serious condition with a broken leg and pelvis at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills. Steven Trejos, 26, and Luvia Eragon, 56, each suffered a broken leg and were in stable condition at Northridge Hospital Medical Center and County/USC Medical Center, respectively.

“When you collide with four people like that and the car doesn’t stop, we want to know why,” Mata said. “There was a lack of principles, a lack of morals and a lack of integrity on the part of the driver.”