What to Know
- A woman in her 50s or 60s was struck and killed in Silver Lake and police were searching for the driver.
- The crash happened before dawn in the 1800 block of Hyperion Avenue.
- Police were searching for the driver of a tan or silver-colored compact sedan with significant damage.
A 57-year-old grandmother was struck and killed while collecting recyclables from a trash bin in Silver Lake early Wednesday and police were searching for the driver they say might not have known he hit the woman.
Cristina Garcia was identified by family members as the woman killed before dawn in the 1800 block of Hyperion Avenue. Police were searching for the driver of a tan or silver-colored compact sedan -- possibly a 2010 or 2011 Toyota Corolla -- with significant damage, officials said.
Garcia's son, Edwin Aleman, said she liked to pick up recyclables to help pay for her daughter's college and had a grandson who was 5 years old.
"Unfortunately he's asking for her now," said Aleman. "It's going to be hard to explain to him."
The driver may not have realized the car hit someone, but he should have stayed at the scene because there was significant property damage, police said.
The crash was weather related, police said. Surveillance video shows the car lose control and crash. The car took a blind curve too fast and hydroplaned on the wet road, police said.
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After the crash, the driver can be seen getting out of his vehicle and appearing to inspect the damage before getting back in the car and driving off, the video shows.
The driver possibly didn't know he hit a person because the body landed between two buildings, police said.
