Hit And Run Drivers

Investigators are searching for a hit-and-run driver who rear-ended another car on Beach Boulevard and pushed it into a pedestrian, seriously injuring him, police said Monday. Alfredo De La Sanches, 39, of Westminster was crossing Beach near Trask Avenue about 8:15 p.m. Sunday when he was first struck by a car driven by a San Pedro woman, Police Lt. Mike Schliskey said. The woman's car was then rear-ended by a red or maroon vehicle, pushing it into De La Sanches a second time, police said.

A 75-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man were killed Saturday morning in separate accidents, police said. The woman, on her regular, early morning walk in the Koreatown section of Los Angeles, was struck by a hit-and-run driver at Western Avenue and 2nd Street. Authorities said Yun S. Yoon was crossing Western about 5:40 a.m. when she was struck by a southbound car. Witnesses described the driver as a light-skinned man and the car as a two-door, light-blue Dodge or Chevrolet.

A $14,000 reward was offered Wednesday to find the driver who injured a firefighter in a hit-and-run accident. Ryan Stampe, 22, of Anaheim Hills was working a fire on South Anaheim Boulevard at 2 a.m. Saturday when a car knocked him more than 40 feet. He suffered leg and shoulder injuries. Police described the car as a black or gray compact, possibly a Toyota or Honda, that may have damage to the right front side and windshield. Anyone with information is asked to call (714) 765-1861.

Authorities were searching for a hit-and-run driver who fatally struck an 8-year-old San Pedro boy Tuesday afternoon. Andrew Luckie Silva was crossing 25th Street near Leland Avenue just before 6 p.m. when witnesses saw a teal Ford Ranger hit him. Silva was thrown into the path of another truck, which also hit him. The driver of the first truck sped east. The driver of the second truck stopped.

A motorist who handed a critically injured infant to a bystander and fled the scene of a crash remained unaccounted for Friday while the infant continued to be listed in critical condition with a fractured skull. The 2-month-old infant, Wendy Gonzales, was in the intensive care unit at UCI Medical Center in Orange. Her mother, Maria Perez, 27, and sister, Anna, 3, were both treated for injuries after Thursday's accident and spent Friday at the infant's bedside, according to relatives.

Police continued to search Friday for a hit-and-run driver involved in a crash that killed an 11-year-old Sacramento boy as he roller-skated. Marcus Nichols died after the crash near his home in south Sacramento about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. A 12-year-old companion was hospitalized with a broken leg and was expected to recover. Authorities found evidence at the scene, including a piece of a grille from a Ford vehicle. Witnesses described it as a silver sport-utility vehicle with a dark top.

Police were searching Wednesday for the driver of a dark-colored Ford Aerostar van that might have struck and killed a 39-year-old man who was crossing Walnut Street. Richard Kent Thomas of Garden Grove was found dead at the scene of the 4:48 a.m. hit-and-run accident between Laster Avenue and Kimberly Place, police said. A witness saw a dark-colored van heading toward Katella Avenue, said Anaheim Police Investigator Vince Delgado. "That's one of the leads that we're looking at," Delgado said.

A 16-year-old boy died Sunday after being struck by a hit-and-run driver as he and two other people crossed Harbor Boulevard at La Palma Avenue, police said. The boy's name was not released. A dark-colored SUV, possibly a Cadillac Escalade, struck the boy about 1:30 a.m. Police said the driver did not stop and continued south on Harbor Boulevard. Police said the pedestrians may have been crossing against a red light. The accident is under investigation.

A teen-ager was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver seconds after walking away from an argument with her father, a California Highway Patrol officer said Tuesday. The incident, which happened about 10:15 p.m. Monday on the Santa Ana Freeway, marked the first traffic fatality on an Orange County freeway this year, said CHP Officer K. Keul.