Late Friday night on Interstate 5, a young woman was struck and killed on the southbound side of the freeway just south of Templin Highway, authorities said. First responders were called at about 11:20 p.m., and Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel pronounced her dead at the scene. Investigators believe the vehicle that hit her was a tractor-trailer or semi that kept going and never returned.
CHP Seeks Leads
CHP Newhall spokesman Carlos Burgos-Lopez told The Signal that officers arrived to find a white Toyota Corolla parked on the right shoulder and a woman who appeared to be in her early 20s. Investigators say they believe she was outside that car when she was hit by what appeared to be a tractor-trailer or semi-truck. Why she exited the vehicle is still under investigation.
CHP is asking anyone who may have seen the crash or driven through the area around that time to contact investigators. Even small details, they note, could help them narrow down which big rig or commercial vehicle was involved.
How To Help
The CHP Newhall office lists its main line as 661-600-1600; callers are asked to request Officer I. Rojas, who is handling the case. Anonymous tips can be submitted to LA Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or via the P3 Tips mobile app.
Investigators say dash-cam footage, cell phone video, photos, or even partial license plate numbers from drivers in the area could be especially useful. Trucking companies are also encouraged to review their vehicles, logs, and on-board cameras for anything that might match the time and place of the collision.
Freeway Safety Context
Hit-and-run crashes and pedestrian deaths continue to plague Southern California freeways, with advocates pointing to hundreds of traffic fatalities across Los Angeles County in recent years. Those cases often remain tough to solve when the driver leaves the scene, especially on high-speed corridors used heavily by commercial traffic, according to BikinginLA…