Authorities are still looking for the driver of a vehicle that struck a three-year-old boy and a woman in her fifties in a hit-and-run accident on the Pacific Coast Highway Friday night.
The toddler sustained a fractured hip and numerous facial abrasions and the woman, reportedly a relative, sustained a broken arm when the car struck them, Lt. Robert Wiard of the Malibu/ Lost Hills Sheriff ’s Station said Saturday in a press release.
The accident occurred at about 8:30 p.m. on Friday at the 25800 block of the PCH, between Puerco Canyon and Corral Canyon Roads. A one-mile stretch of the PCH was closed in both directions for about 90 minutes following the accident.
The victims were airlifted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and their condition was listed as critical, but not life threatening as of Saturday, according to Lt. Patrick Mathers of the Malibu/ Lost Hills station. The station did not know whether there had been a change in their condition when contacted Tuesday afternoon.
Authorities told television station KABC-Los Angeles the victims were returning from the beach and were struck while crossing the highway.
“We understand the victims were crossing PCH from the ocean side to the other side,” Mathers told KABC on Saturday. “They were legally crossing the highway. We believe they were possibly struck by the side view mirror.”
The driver, whose identity remains unknown, left the scene, but authorities have described the vehicle as being a silver or white sports utility vehicle.
“They don’t have a plate, they don’t have a car, all they have is a mirror,” said a secretary in the Malibu / Lost Hills station’s traffic division.
The secretary added that the pedestrians who were struck appeared to be foreign.
“These people were from another country, I think it was a grandma and a grandson,” the secretary said.
Because the accident happened at night, there is little to go on other than eyewitness accounts, the official said.
“I think what we’re really hoping is that somebody saw something. It’s [an] open [investigation], but all we have is a mirror.”
Detectives are asking anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the Malibu/ Lost Hills Sheriff ’s Station at 818.878.1808. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800.222.TIPS (8477) or text the letters TIPLA plus the tip to CRIMES (274637), or use the website lacrimestoppers.org.