Fatal Crash Kills Two; Driver Held

A hit-and-run driver killed two people and injured another Thursday night when his speeding pickup truck slammed into two cars on a residential street in Canoga Park, police said.

The driver of the pickup tried to run, witnesses said, but was chased by neighbors who pinned him to the ground until police arrived. He was taken into custody and was being treated at Northridge Hospital Medical Center for undetermined injuries, said Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Jason Lee.

The incident occurred about 7 p.m. at the corner of Vanowen Street and Kelvin Avenue in a block of modest apartment buildings.

The driver of a bronze-colored sedan, a woman who appeared to be in her 30s, died at the scene. Her car was crushed like an accordion, its front end pushed up against a curb.

One passenger, a 15-year-old girl, was taken by air ambulance to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Another, older female was taken to Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Woodland Hills where she died, authorities said.

Police said it was unclear if the second car hit was occupied.

After the crash, about 100 people, their holiday evening interrupted, spilled onto the sidewalk. “People on the street chased down the guy trying to run,” said Fernando Martinez, 17, who said he saw the accident occur from across the street. “They held him down till the cops came. The truck was driving real fast.”