Update: the Santa Monica Police Department has confirmed that the collision resulted in a fatality. Read more HERE
Victim may have been riding scooter, says initial reports.
By Sam Catanzaro
A hit and run crash in Santa Monica last night may have resulted in the death of a scooter rider, according to the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) and a social media post.
An Instagram post from the account @scootersbehavingbadly (see below) describes a man being hit by a scooter in Santa Monica between 3rd Street and Hill Street. According to the post, the incident involved “fatal injuries.”
The Instagram post seems to be sourced from a post from Nextdoor.com.
According to SMPD public data, there was a Hit and Run Felony Investigation Friday, March 15 at 8:30 p.m. (Incident# 190031706) at 3rd Street and Hill Street. The Santa Monica Mirror contacted the SMPD, who confirmed that there was a hit and run Friday night at 3rd Street and Hill Street and that the Department’s Major Accident Response Team responded to the scene. The SMPD was not able to confirm if the victim was on a scooter and if the crash resulted in a fatality.
According to the SMPD, that information can only be released by Lt. Saul Rodriguez, the Department’s Public Information Officer who is currently out of the office. The Mirror has reached out to Rodriguez via email asking for more details regarding this incident, and this article will be updated accordingly.