Man, 80, struck in crosswalk

SOUTH GLENDALE—An 80-year-old man was fatally struck by a motorist Wednesday evening in a crosswalk at Columbus and California avenues, police said.

The man, whose name was not immediately released, was taken to a Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, Glendale Lt. Brian Cohen said.

The motorist was headed west on California Avenue about 6:37 p.m. when she hit the man, who had been heading north on Columbus Avenue, Cohen said.

The woman, whose identity police did not release Wednesday night, struck the man with the right side of her compact sedan, cracking its windshield.

After being thrown from the car, the man landed on the pavement and was taken to the hospital, Cohen said.

The woman stopped and remained at the scene after the collision. Residents said the motorist was crying and appeared to be in shock.

Traffic investigators shut down the intersection of Columbus and California avenues as they investigated the scene. Part of the preliminary investigation would include whether the woman was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time, police said.

Tess Bernardo, a nearby resident, said speeding cars at the intersection has long been an issue.

“Sometimes if they see people on the corner, they just roll,” she said.

The man’s clothing and shoes were strewn about the street as dozens of residents watched officers conduct their investigation.

Officers used surveying equipment that allows them to accurately recreate the crash, Glendale Police Lt. Carl Povilaitis said.

Measurements of the crash site will be input into computer software that creates a three-dimensional model of the crash, he added.