Two people died and another two were injured after a violent hit-and-run in Santa Monica on Friday night, authorities say.
The crash occurred around 9:15 p.m. on Wilshire Boulevard between 14th and Euclid streets.
Preliminary information from the Santa Monica Police Department indicates that the driver, for unknown reasons, was heading westbound in the eastbound lanes of Wilshire and had at times even maneuvered onto the sidewalk before plowing into the four people.
It was first reported that, in the wake of the crash, only one person was killed; however, an SMPD official told KTLA’s Carlos Herrera around 6:30 a.m. that a second person had died. Both were said to have succumbed to their injuries at the scene.
Of the two hurt victims, one was initially listed as being in “possibly critical condition,” while the other’s condition was not immediately known. A media statement issued by SMPD Saturday morning indicates they both are expected to survive.
Following the collision, the driver of the vehicle was said to have fled the area on foot, leaving the mangled Dodge Charger on the sidewalk against a tree.
As of 7 a.m. Saturday, they had not been apprehended. SMPD’s media statement lists the suspect as a Black man who was wearing a red hat, a red sweater and black shoes.
The incident, which caused Wilshire to be completely closed near 14th and Euclid for hours, is being investigated as a felony hit-and-run.
