'You Just Took Off': Family Of 74-Year-Old John Draper Urges Driver To Surrender After Fatal Hit-And-Run Crash
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The family of a 74-year-old man who was fatally struck by a hit-and-run driver in the Hyde Park area is pleading with the driver to come forward.
John Draper, who used a cane, was walking west on Hyde Park Boulevard at about 9:40 p.m. on March 19 when he was hit by a truck as it sped north on Crenshaw Boulevard. Draper fell and hit the road, and police say the truck's driver did not stop to try to help Draper or identify themselves.
Draper sustained fatal injuries in the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene. His family issued a public plea Thursday, urging the driver to turn themselves in.
"If somebody hit your family member, you know, you would want them to stop and see if they were OK or not. You just took off," Draper's niece, who identified herself only as Danita, said.
"It shouldn't have been done like this," said Olga Boynton, Draper's sister. "Whoever hit him should have gone on and stopped. He's not a dog or anything – he's a good person."
Authorities released surveillance video of the vehicle that struck Draper. It was identified as a gray Ford F-150 pickup truck with Arizona license plates.
A $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the driver is available. Anyone with information about the crash can contact South Traffic Division detectives at (323) 421-2500 or (323) 421-2577.