Woman killed by hit-and-run driver in Baldwin Hills

A woman was killed on Tuesday when she was struck by a hit-and-run driver while crossing the street in Baldwin Hills.

The crash happened a little before 2 a.m. in the 5700 block of W. Obama Boulevard near La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles Police Department officers said.

They say that the woman and a man were crossing the street when she was struck by the driver of a dark-colored vehicle driving northbound on La Cienega.

Paramedics pronounced the woman dead at the scene. Late Tuesday, she was identified by 40-year-old Yvonne Parks by the Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner.

Video from the scene shows the man in emotional distress after the crash.

Investigators believe that speed was a factor in the incident.

"We do have a hill coming from S. La Cienega and people speed going down the hill and they're not paying attention," said LAPD South Traffic Division Sergeant Kevin Ahlemeir.

Someone who witnessed the crash said that the force of the crash sent the woman flying.

"He hit her and she flew in the air, all the way there to that driveway — 30 feet," said Brian Moore. "When she landed I ran over there, the boyfriend screaming. He ran over to her, he's checking. I grabbed her, checked her pulse. She was already deceased."

He says that the area is known to be dangerous as cars hurtle down the street.

"It's a death trap," he said. "People come flying down the hill, flying 70-80 miles an hour at 2 o'clock in the morning."

Carolina Sanchez, a business owner in the area, says that she was hit by a car there as well, leaving her with a limp after she was hit in the crosswalk by a car two years ago.

She's hopeful that something can change soon so that drivers will stop speeding through the area.

Elwood Matthews, who lives in nearby Leimert Park, says that he stops a few seconds before actually stepping into the crosswalk because drivers tend to run lights at the intersection.

He says that he's seen five people get hit there in the past year, including someone close to him, which is why he has sympathy for the man who was with the victim of Tuesday's incident.

"I know what he's going through, because I went through it when my girl got hit right there," Matthews said.

While they continue to investigate the matter, LAPD detectives ask anyone who may know more to contact them at (323) 421-2500.