Yvonne Parks, 40, and two other women, still unidentified by police, are the latest fatal victims of traffic violence in the city and county of Los Angeles.
At the same time, Latinos who have to cross busy streets and intersections on a daily basis said they feel unsafe and distrustful when they see drivers not respecting speed limits.
They flee the scene
On July 19, at midnight, a woman was struck and killed at the corner of Central Avenue and 82nd Street in South Central Los Angeles.
“A Hispanic driver fled the scene,” said Sergeant Kevin Ahlemier of the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) 77th Division, regarding the fatal hit-and-run in South Central. The city of Los Angeles is offering a $50,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of the alleged perpetrator.
Four days later, Yvonne Parks was brutally hit and run in the Baldwin Hills area.
Parks and her boyfriend were walking in a crosswalk in the Baldwin Hills area on Tuesday when she was struck by a speeding motorist.
The two were heading early in the morning to a 7/Eleven store located at the corner of Obama and La Cienega boulevards. The man was not injured.
Parks and her boyfriend had the right of way, but the light changed before they were safe; the hit-and-run driver honked his horn and slammed his vehicle into the woman, sending her flying into the air. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspect vehicle fled northbound on La Cienega Boulevard. The driver did not even stop to render aid to the victim as required by law.
On April 15, 2015, the City Council amended the Los Angeles Administrative Code to create a Hit and Run Rewards Program Trust Fund.
A reward of up to $50,000 is available for information leading to the identification, apprehension and conviction of the person suspected of killing Yvonne Parks.
Also, on the evening of Saturday, July 27, a third victim succumbed to injuries sustained when she was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Avenues J and Elm in Lancaster.
More caution
“Even though pedestrians are basically supposed to have the right to cross, they have to look both ways before crossing the street,” said Officer Rosario Cervantes, a spokeswoman for the LAPD.
“Many times people are on their phones or trust that they have the right of way light, but we always recommend that they pay attention to the cars, because the person driving can be distracted and not notice who is crossing the street, or pedestrians cross where they shouldn’t.”
Officer Cervantes also recommended that drivers avoid using their phones while driving and that they know the laws.
“If they are involved in an accident, call 911 and request first aid assistance, but do not flee the scene,” he said.
If anyone is injured or killed, the hit-and-run driver could face criminal charges of vehicular homicide, a sentence of two to six years in a California state prison, and a $10,000 fine.
Statistics are worrying
“They don’t respect anyone, and they don’t have any caution,” said Maria Fregoso, a woman from Puebla, Mexico, who was on the verge of being run over along with her sons Jonathan (16 years old) and Samuel (9), on the corner of Soto Street and Whittier Boulevard, in East Los Angeles.
“It’s always the same; people drive too fast,” said the 65-year-old. “They give us terrible scares all the time.”
In 2023, there were 336 traffic fatalities in the city of Los Angeles, surpassing the 300-victim mark for the second year in a row, and the highest number of deaths in more than 20 years, as recorded by the organization Streets Are For Everyone (SAFE).
The report, “Dying on the Streets of Los Angeles,” presented by Damian Levitt, director of SAFE, analyzes road violence trends and the death tolls behind them.
“The fatality figures represented an 8% increase over 2022, and a staggering 81% increase since former Mayor Eric Garcetti initiated the Vision Zero program in 2015,” Levitt told La Opinión.
The three districts with the highest number of traffic crashes in Los Angeles are: District 14, represented by Councilmember Kevin de León, with 1,605 crashes in 2023; second place is District 13, led by Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, with 1,619 crashes; and third place is District 9, led by Councilmember Curren Price Jr., with 1,560.
“A little over two three months ago, my brother [Joel Burgos] “He was hit and killed by a hit-and-run driver,” said Juan Serrano, while riding his bicycle in East Los Angeles.
The accident occurred on the night of May 22 at the corner of Mission Road and the Cesar Chavez Avenue bridge.
A review of pedestrian deaths over the past five years shows Boyle Heights ranks 11th out of 114 neighborhoods across Los Angeles, according to the nonprofit news site Crosstown. Downtown Los Angeles also tops the list for fatalities.
Five most dangerous intersections
According to recent accident data in Los Angeles County, the five most dangerous intersections in Los Angeles are: East Manchester Avenue and Avalon Boulevard; West Manchester Avenue and South Vermont Avenue; Victory Boulevard and Lindley Avenue in the Reseda area; West Manchester Avenue and Normandie Avenue, as well as South Vermont Avenue and West Florence Avenue. The latter intersection consistently reports some of the highest accident rates of any intersection in Los Angeles.
“We have dangerous pedestrian crossings all over the city, and they are the most unprotected,” said Pete Brown, spokesman for Councilman Kevin De Leon. “They may be painted, but there is no signage to warn residents that someone is crossing.”
“There are others that have flashing yellow lights that take pedestrians into account,” he added. “There is a lot of dangerous driving in District 14 because some of our streets are small and narrow – like in Boyle Heights – and people drive at high speeds, so drivers have a much shorter reaction time to brake or stop.”
Brown reported that Councilmember De Leon has secured significant funding that has begun to increase pedestrian and bicyclist safety. The money came from grants the Councilmember applied for from the California Transportation Commission’s Active Transportation Program (ATP) program.
De Leon secured $5 million for street improvements around Hollenbeck Park; $47.7 million for Skid Row and surrounding areas; and $37.7 million for Boyle Heights.