Detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Tuesday asked for the public’s help in tracking down a hit-and-run driver who severely injured a bicyclist in the Vermont Knolls neighborhood of South Los Angeles.
Kennedy Coleman, 63, was riding his bicycle on Hoover Street near 79th Street on Sep. 2 Labor Day at 10:30 p.m. As he was attempting to get up, the man was struck by a car
“The headlights could have easily illuminated Mr. Coleman on the street in front of him,” Detective Gerald Chavarria said. “But for some unknown reason, this driver simply ran him over, dragging him several feet and causing severe injuries, including collapsed lung, various fractures, and brain bleed that required surgery.”
The LAPD detective said based on surveillance footage, Coleman’s fall from the bike was not “conductive” to the severity of the injuries.
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“As he was getting up from the pavement, this vehicle runs him over,” Chavarria explained, adding that the hit-and-run car then ran a red light.
Coleman was in a hospital in the intensive care unit as he faced an uphill battle for recovery, the detective said.
A standing reward of up to $25,000 has been offered by the city of Los Angeles for information that helps authorities solve a non-fatal hit and run.
Anyone with information on the case was urged to call LAPD South Traffic Division detectives at 323-421-2500, or the watch commander at 323-421- 2577. Tipsters may also call 877-LAPD-247 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
