Son of Man Killed in Chatsworth Hit and Run Says Woman Who Also Died Was Pregnant

The pickup truck driver suspected of being responsible for a hit-and-run crash that killed two bicyclists in Chatsworth was identified Wednesday.

The crash was reported at about 7:10 p.m. Tuesday at Plummer Street and Lurline Avenue, where a 2006 red Toyota Tacoma driven by Nelson Rodriguez struck and killed a woman in her 30s and a man in his 50s on bicycles. They also were traveling westbound on Plummer Street, police said.

The man killed was 58-year-old Matthew Zink, says Samuel Castillo who is one of Zink's four sons. Castillo says his dad lived in Canoga Park with his ex-wife and died riding bikes with a pregnant female friend. Zink was a mechanic and sometime janitor who family says worked hard all his life.

"It's hard to accept," he said. "I still can't even accept it right now. Especially for him to go out like that. It's not OK."

Castillo says his thoughts turn to the driver who shattered so many lives.

"I'm not one for revenge," he said. "But obviously you took my dad away. You took another person's life and the baby. There has to be consequences for that."

Rodriguez fled the scene in the pickup truck and was involved in several other collisions with vehicles and property and ultimately struck a wall on Knapp Street, west of De Soto Avenue, police said.

The 58-year-old Chatsworth resident was detained by witnesses until police arrived at the site of the last collision and arrested Rodriguez on suspicion of murder.

The victims died at the scene and have not been identified pending notification to their next-of-kin. Rodriguez was taken to a hospital with unknown injuries.

Anyone with information about this traffic collision is asked to call the LAPD's Valley Traffic Division at 818-644-8116 or Officer Martinez at 818644-8022.