Family members are still desperately trying to find the driver who hit and killed a 73-year-old grandfather as he was using a walker in Sylmar earlier this month. Tracy Leong reports Aug. 31, 2023.
Family members are desperately trying to find the driver who hit and killed a 73-year-old grandfather as he was using a walker to cross an intersection in Sylmar earlier this month.
Perfecto Delgado Garcia, 73, was hit Aug. 9 near the intersection of Polk Street and Norris Avenue, around 8:40 p.m., leaving him with severe injuries. He died two weeks later.
“He came that night to the store to buy himself something, and a car hit him, and that’s all I know. And he ended up in the hospital and he passed away,” said his heartbroken granddaughter, Brenda Izarraras.
Neighbors say the intersection is known to be dangerous, especially at night because it’s difficult to see people crossing. They said they’ve called the city to complain, asking for them to place streetlights in a dark section of the road, speed bumps and a traffic signal to make it safer for pedestrians who live nearby.
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“I don’t want to walk the neighborhood with my daughter because of the danger that lurks out here with the cars as fast as they go by,” neighbor Christina Olmos said.
She said that on the night of the crash, she heard a thump but no screeching of tires. She thought it was two cars that collided, only to find out later it was Garcia who was hit.
Police have only been able to say that the suspect car was dark in color, but Garcia’s family is hoping the person responsible for his death will be found soon.
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“I would like for justice to happen because it’s not fair what happened to my grandpa,” Izarraras said.
