LOCAL : Scuffle Precedes Fatal Car Crash

A man who was hanging onto the side of a car and fighting with its driver was killed when the vehicle was hit by a drunk driver at a Reseda intersection, police reported today.

After the Sunday night collision, both drivers got out of their cars and fled, police said. One was later arrested. The victim, a 21-year-old Reseda man, was not identified pending notification of his family.

Detective Don Bellante said the 8 p.m. accident at Tampa Avenue and Valerio Street appears to have begun with a possible drug deal gone awry.

A car driven by an unknown person apparently made a stop on Valerio and a pedestrian leaned in through the driver’s window. Bellante said. For an unknown reason, the men started fighting. The car was driven eastbound to Tampa where it went through a stop sign and stopped in the middle of the intersection while they continued to fight.

A car driven north on Tampa by Jesus Fraga, 21, of Canoga Park, crashed into the stopped car, knocking it onto its side and on top of the victim, Bellante said. Both drivers got out of their cars and fled, he said. Neighbors ran to the scene and pushed the car off of the victim but he was already dead.

Bellante said Fraga was later arrested at his home and arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and felony hit and run. Police were still searching for the driver of the other vehicle.