hit and run

Hit-and-Run Driver Fatally Strikes Bicyclist

Police are looking for a driver who fatally struck a bicyclist in Compton and then fled the scene.

The victim, identified by family members at the scene as 59-year-old Darnell Parker Sr., was flung from his bicycle upon impact around midnight near the intersection of Bradfield Avenue and Alondra Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Compton station.

Parker was pronounced dead at the scene. Family members say he was the father of 10 children and was well known in the area.

"He was a good man. He has children that he needed to see grow up, and it's sad that he's not going to be able to do that," said Tracy Brown, Parker's daughter-in-law.

Police have not officially released a description of the vehicle, but witness Marylou Magallenes said the suspect was driving a white Chevy Impala and hit the victim from behind.

Brown had a pointed message to the driver as family members mourn Parker's death: "Please, just have a heart and turn yourself in."

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