The family of 55-year-old Reade Torrance Childres is asking for the public’s help to locate the hit-and-run driver who struck and fatally injured him. According to a KTLA news report, Childres was on a moped in the area along Crenshaw Boulevard near Westmont Avenue the afternoon of April 1st when a person driving a black Ford Flex struck the back of his moped and fled the scene.
Ongoing Investigation
The impact of the crash, which was captured on surveillance video, caused Childres to be ejected from the moped and hit the roadway. The driver of the SUV drove away without stopping to identify himself or herself, which is required by the law. Emergency personnel transported Childres to a local hospital where he died two days later.
His cousin Sheila Kearns said Childres was a man who loved to care for others. She said the family needs closure as they are “heartbroken and overwhelmed with grief.” Investigators have released the surveillance video of the suspect fleeing the scene. Police are offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identity, arrest and conviction of the driver. Anyone with information is asked to contact LAPD’s South Traffic Division at 323-421-2500.
We offer our deepest condolences to the family members of Reade Torrance Childres for their tragic and untimely loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Justice for Victims’ Families
Los Angeles has gained notoriety over the years as the hit-and-run capital of the nation. According to a recent report in Curbed LA, there were more than 100,000 hit-and-run cases in the city of Los Angeles from 2014 to 2018. Of those, 23,698 were felony hit-and-run cases, meaning that someone was hurt in the crash. In 2016, an NBC Los Angeles investigation suggested that as many as 50 percent of collisions in Los Angeles County are hit-and-run incidents.
As Los Angeles car accident lawyers who represent victims of hit-and-run crashes, we see first-hand, the physical, emotional and financial devastation these incidents cause. Leaving the scene of an accident is an unethical and inexcusable act. Fear or panic is simply not a good enough excuse for leaving an injured person lying on the roadway. Families of deceased victims would be well advised to contact an experienced Los Angeles hit and run lawyer to better understand their legal rights and options.
Source: https://ktla.com/news/local-news/family-pleads-for-information-in-leimert-park-hit-and-run-that-killed-moped-rider/