Police Look for Hit-and-Run Driver in Los Angeles

Police in Los Angeles are looking for a hit-and-run driver who struck and killed a woman, identified as Alicia Bello, as she carried her 2-year-old son across the street in El Sereno. According to a CBS Los Angeles news report, the fatal incident occurred the evening of February 22, 2017 on Alhambra Avenue. Police say Bello, 32, was standing in the middle of the roadway when a westbound vehicle struck her. The impact hurled her into the eastbound lanes where she was hit by a pickup truck.

Fatal Hit-and-Run Crash

Her son was thrown 50 feet down the road. Bello was pronounced dead at the scene and the toddler was hospitalized for treatment of lacerations to the head. The driver fled the scene, but the pickup driver remained at the scene. He was questioned as released. The hit and run vehicle may be a Honda SUV with left side damage according to police. A reward of up to $50,000 is available to anyone who can provide a tip leading to the suspect’s identification.

Bello’s husband told CBS that the couple has two other children. He added that he was shocked that the driver didn’t stop even after seeing a young child fly off his mother’s hands. The little boy, Romeo, is expected to survive. Anyone with information is asked to contact LAPD at 213-833-3713.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to Bello’s family, especially her husband and their three young children. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Justice for Victims’ Families

Los Angeles is notoriously known as the “hit-and-run capital of the U.S.” Nearly half of the fatal traffic accidents that occur in Los Angeles involve hit-and-run drivers, statistics show. There may be a number of reasons why drivers choose to leave the scene of the crash including but not drunken driving, driving without a valid license or sheer panic. However, none of these are good enough reasons for leaving the scene of an injury or fatal crash.

Under California Vehicle Code Section 20001 (a), it is illegal to leave the scene of a car accident is illegal to leave the scene of a crash. Motorists are required to remain at the scene regardless of whose fault the accident was. They are also required to exchange information with other parties involved and most importantly, to help the injured victims.

Our heart goes out to the deceased victim’s family members who must be struggling to get a sense of closure with the driver still at large. We hope the hit-and-run driver in this case is apprehended and brought to justice, and that the victim’s family receives the justice and closure they rightfully deserve.