A 53-year-old father of five spent four days in the hospital after being struck by a hit-and-run driver while riding his bicycle in Boyle Heights, and police are now searching for the driver of the pickup truck.
Gabriel Lopez spent four days at Los Angeles County USC Medical Center with multiple injuries after being struck head-on by a pickup truck Thursday night near the intersection of Whittier Boulevard and Calzona Street.
"I saw the truck on the corner. Then he lost control," Lopez, the victim, said. "He came all the way to the other side of the street. He just hit me."
Lopez fractured his back, suffered a blood clot and has numerous scrapes and bruises.
The father of five works in construction and is now unable to provide for his family until he recovers.
"It's pretty hard and when you don't have no income," Lopez says. "I don't know how to say it. It is hard."
The driver of the pickup truck, detectives say, lost control and veered onto the wrong side of the road. The driver did not stop, leaving Lopez injured on the road.
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A $25,000 reward is on offer related to the hit-and-run.
Anyone with information about the crash or the identity of the driver was urged to call the LAPD's Central Traffic Division at 213-833-3713 or call Detective Juan Campos at 213-486-0755 or email him at 31480@lapd.online.
During non-business hours, calls should be directed to 877-LAPD-24-7. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS or lacrimestoppers.org.
