Suspect Sought in Hit-Run Accident
Police are looking for the driver of a white van suspected of a felony hit-and-run in Van Nuys on Wednesday night that left a man critically injured.
Jose Luna of Van Nuys was crossing Sylvan Street near the intersection of Hazeltine Avenue at about 7:15 p.m. when he was struck, said Det. Dwight Gillette of LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division.
“Nothing indicates that he was jaywalking,” Gillette said, adding that the man appeared to have been in an unmarked crosswalk.
Witnesses who saw the accident said the van, which appeared to be a domestic make--possibly a Ford or a Dodge--had been making a right turn from northbound Hazeltine onto eastbound Sylvan, Gillete said.
After hitting Luna, who authorities believe is in his 40s, the driver hesitated for a few seconds and then drove away, continuing eastbound on Sylvan, witnesses told police.
Luna suffered head trauma, and as of Thursday, remained in critical condition at Northridge Hospital Medical Center, a hospital spokesman said.
Because the driver failed to stop after injuring Luna, “It’s a felony hit-and-run,” said Officer Connie Silber of Valley Traffic Division.
Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the hit-and-run to call Gillette at (818) 756-8391.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
