Van strikes, critically injures 75-year-old woman

Police are seeking the public’s help in finding a motorist of a white utility van which allegedly fled after striking and critically injuring a 75-year-old Glendale woman on Wednesday.

The woman, whose identity wasn’t released, suffered head trauma, broken bones and internal injuries and remained in critical condition Thursday at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, according to Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz.

She was exiting her parked vehicle at about 4:22 p.m. in the 1100 block of Western Avenue, when a white utility van struck her and continued driving without stopping at the scene, he said.

The white van was last seen traveling east on Glenoaks Boulevard between 4:15 and 4:30 p.m., police said.

Almost three years ago, prominent Glendale doctor Jacob Orphali, 61, was struck by a motorist after he had just parked his car and was standing next to his car’s open driver’s side door in the 1100 block of Western Avenue.

The motorist, Edmond Grigoryan, stopped at the scene of the Oct. 12, 2010 collision, but was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of a controlled substance.

Orphali was taken to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Wednesday’s crash comes nearly two weeks after 88-year-old Glendale resident Balasan Mirzabegianliwasgan was struck and killed on Doran Street.

Mirzabegianliwasgan stepped out from between two parked vehicles on Doran near Glendale Avenue about 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 21, when she was hit by the motorist of a Ford Focus.

The motorist remained at the scene and was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, police said.

Mirzabegianliwasgan was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Her death marked the third pedestrian-involved fatality in Glendale this year as well as the fourth traffic-related fatal.

Anyone with details about the Wednesday’s crash or has seen the utility van is asked to call the Glendale Police Department Traffic Bureau at 818-548-3131. To remain anonymous, call Glendale Crime Stoppers at (818) 507-7867.

-- Veronica Rocha, veronica.rocha@latimes.com

Follow on Google+ and on Twitter: @VeronicaRochaLA.