Police say they have identified an 86-year-old Lakewood woman as the suspect in a hit-and-run crash that left a skateboarder in critical condition.
The woman hit the skateboarder and then drove off Tuesday afternoon, leaving the man lying in the roadway at Bellflower Boulevard and 27th Street, according to police.
No arrest has been made yet, but police have impounded the vehicle that was used in the crash, LBPD spokesman Jason Lehman said.
The crash happened around 1:45 p.m. as the skateboarder was trying to cross Bellflower, Long Beach police spokeswoman Nancy Pratt said. The driver fled south along Bellflower after the collision, according to Pratt.
Paramedics took the skateboarder to a local hospital, Pratt said.
Investigators shut down some lanes of Bellflower as they collected evidence including the man’s shoes and a broken skateboard.
Citlalli Ortiz said her boyfriend witnessed the crash while he was stopped for a red light at the intersection. The driver was an older woman, she said. When she hit the skateboarder, he crashed into the vehicle’s windshield, cracking it, she said.
“A lot of cars were honking at her to stop,” Ortiz said in a Facebook message.
Police are still investigating. They asked anyone with information to contact Det. Steve Fox at 562-570-7110.
Editor’s note: This story was updated Tuesday night to add new information about the suspect.
Valerie Osier contributed to this report.





