Warning: graphic video
Newly released video captures the moment a 51-year-old cyclist was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver in San Pedro last weekend.
The incident, according to police, occurred while the cyclist, identified as Oscar Montoya, was riding northbound on Pacific Avenue, south of Channel Street, at around 12:40 a.m. Saturday when a light-colored vehicle, possibly a Scion, traveling in the same direction rear-ended him.
Graphic video of the incident shows the force of the collision knocked Montoya into the air, onto the vehicle’s roof before being thrown back onto the street. The driver of the vehicle slows to a stop for a few brief moments before fleeing and failing to help the cyclist.
A Good Samaritan tried to help, but paramedics with the Los Angeles Fire Department pronounced the 51-year-old dead at the scene.
Joshua Montoya, the victim’s son, described his father as a loving man, who was himself a son and a brother who was loved by many.
“He was a loving man. If you ask anybody, they’ll say he was this big teddy bear. He was, like, this big man that you could run up into and give him a big hug and he would embrace you with open arms,” Joshua told KTLA. “He was a family man, he was my father.”
The victim’s family is hoping someone will recognize the vehicle from the video or may know the person involved and come forward.
Anyone with information regarding this collision is asked to contact Detectives Moreno and Flannery with the Los Angeles Police Department’s South Traffic Division at 323-421-2500 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and for calls during non-business hours or on weekends, call 1-877-527-3247.
