65-year-old man declared brain dead more than a week after being hit by woman on e-scooter in Koreatown
A 65-year-old man has died days after he was hit by a woman riding an e-scooter in Koreatown earlier in September and police are investigating the incident as a felony hit-and-run.
Donny Kim was out to dinner with Jenny, his wife of more than 40 years, on September 12 when he stepped out onto the sidewalk in the 2800 block of James M. Wood Boulevard at around 4:45 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
It was then that Kim was hit by an unknown woman who continued to flee from the area instead of stopping to see if he was okay.
The force of the collision threw him to the ground, where he hit his head on the concrete, and despite initially declining a trip to the hospital, he ended up there a short time later after he began vomiting and showing signs of a traumatic brain injury.
Kim's wife was beside herself when it happened, according to family.
"She just felt really helpless and scared cause she said he's bleeding out on the sidewalk and she's looking for her phone, trying to assist him," said Susan Park, the couple's niece. "These people, they didn't even help or offer help, but they left."
Now, more than a week later, and Kim was declared brain dead and taken off life support because of the injuries he suffered.
"They said that they can't operate, the damage is too far done," Park said.
Family is hopeful that by getting the story out they can let the woman, who they think was just panicked when she decided to leave the area after the crash, know that the person she hit ended up dead. They're also hopeful that the incident can lead city leaders to make what they say are necessary changes when it comes to scooter safety.
"I don't think this person riding along on a scooter realized that she killed a person," Park said.
Police say that the identified woman was riding a Lime scooter and wearing a pink t-shirt at the time of the crash.
Upon request for comment, Lime issued a statement to KCAL News that read: "Lime is deeply saddened by this incident and our heart goes out to the victim. We are investigating this matter internally and stand ready to assist the police in any way we can."
Family says that there's no enforcement when it comes to the scooter, which potentially makes things dangerous for those around them.
"There's no enforcement, and if they ride on the sidewalk, which they're not supposed to, you see it everywhere," Park said. "People are riding without helmets and it's dangerous."
Lime provides riders with maps of where they can and can't ride, as well as areas where they should slow down.
Anyone who may recognize the woman in the video is urged to contact LAPD detectives.
