Loved ones are devastated after a young woman was killed by a hit-and-run driver in North Hollywood.
On Friday night, Leyda Medina, 27, went out for a run at around 7 p.m.
She was using the crosswalk at the intersection of Victory Boulevard and Beck Avenue when a driver in a Toyota Corolla struck her, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The suspect, described as a white man in his 50s, sped away without stopping, leaving the woman lying on the road.
Leyda was transported to the hospital where she died from her injuries.
The suspect’s car was later found abandoned along the curb on Victory Boulevard, just east of Troost Avenue as the man fled the scene on foot. Police said the windshield was cracked and the front passenger side was damaged from the collision.
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Leyda Medina, 27, is seen in a family photo. (Medina Family) -
The suspect ditched his Toyota Corolla and fled the area on foot after fatally striking Leyda Medina in North Hollywood on August 16, 2024. (KTLA) -
The crosswalk at Victory Boulevard and Beck Avenue in North Hollywood where the victim was fatally struck on August 16, 2024. (KTLA) -
Authorities investigate the scene of the deadly hit-and-run in North Hollywood on August 16, 2024. (KTLA) -
Leyda Medina, 27, is seen in a family photo. (Medina Family) -
Leyda Medina is pictured with her family. (Medina Family) -
The victim’s running shoe can be seen at the crash site. (KTLA) -
The suspect ditched his Toyota Corolla and fled the area on foot after fatally striking Leyda Medina in North Hollywood on August 16, 2024. (KTLA)
Loved ones said Leyda was training to run a 5K marathon and had been running her usual route. Her husband, Kevin Medina, recalled the moment he knew something was wrong that night.
“Every time she leaves for a run, she always tells me to call her in an hour if I don’t hear from her,” Kevin said. “An hour had gone and I called her the first time but she didn’t pick up which raised an alarm because she always picks up. So, I walked out to try and see if she was probably on her way back. Maybe she couldn’t hear her phone because she was running. The second call was when the staff member at the hospital answered.”
As Leyda’s loved ones continue grieving, they are also hoping the suspect will do the right and turn himself in.
“We’ve never processed something like this before but we’re trying to do it together as a family,” Kevin said. “We’re grieving and we want closure. We don’t want to hold any resentment or anger, we just want justice.”
A GoFundMe page to help Leyda’s family with funeral expenses can be found here.
The suspect is described as a white man in his 50s with balding hair and a heavy-set build.
Detectives are asking anyone who was in the area of Victory Boulevard and Beck Avenue at around 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 16, to come forward with any video or information that may be related to the fatal hit-and-run.
Anyone with information can call Detective Ramirez at 818-644-8028 or Officer Ruiz at 818-644-8026. The public can also call the LAPD at 1-877-527-3247.
Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.