Gardena, CA (February 12, 2024) Sadness covered Gardena on Sunday as two pedestrians, one of whom was 5-year-old Patrick Chacon, were struck by a vehicle in a crosswalk. One of the pedestrians did not survive this terrible accident, authorities reported. To add to the devastation of this collision, the driver didn’t stop or even slow down. They fled the scene, leaving the two injured pedestrians in the crosswalk.
The two people, a young boy and his grandmother, had stepped off the curb and were in the middle of the road, within the crosswalk, when they were hit. The Gardena Police Department received the call at approximately 10:30 a.m. They rushed to the intersection of Budlong Avenue and Marin Avenue where they found two people lying in the middle of the crosswalk. The Los Angeles County Fire Department sent paramedics who began life-saving measures on both victims. 5-year-old Chacon was, sadly, pronounced dead at the scene. The other pedestrian, Chacon’s grandmother, was loaded into an ambulance and rushed to a nearby hospital in serious condition.
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Officers said that a vehicle was headed east on Marine Avenue and then turned north onto Budlong Avenue, where they hit the pedestrians in the crosswalk. The driver sped away following the collision, leaving Chacon and his grandmother helpless, in the middle of the road. Officers have gathered evidence and are working to find the suspect and bring them to justice. A memorial now sits at the scene. A teddy bear, candles and flowers serve as reminders of the young life that was taken in Gardena.
All of us at Accident News Now extend our deepest condolences to the family of Patrick Chacon during this difficult time of loss. We would also like to send well wishes to the pedestrian who was injured in this heartless accident. Our team is here to assist you in any way we can during this time of mourning. As drivers, we all have a legal obligation to look out for pedestrians. It is also illegal to flee the scene of an injury accident. We must do better!