The Antelope Valley Times

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Pedestrian critically injured in Palmdale hit-and-run

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PALMDALE – A 35-year-old Rosamond woman is in critical condition after being struck by a hit-and-run driver while walking in a crosswalk in Palmdale Wednesday morning, authorities said.

The collision was reported around 4:53 a.m. Wednesday, July 8, on Fort Tejon Road at the intersection of Pearblossom Highway, an area commonly referred to as “Four Points,” according to Detective Brent Bunch of the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station.

The pedestrian was crossing eastbound on Fort Tejon Road in the crosswalk when the collision occurred.

“As the female pedestrian was crossing Fort Tejon Road, a 2003-2006 Volvo driven by an unknown driver was traveling southbound on Fort Tejon Road,” Bunch stated. “The Volvo collided into the female pedestrian and continued southbound on Fort Tejon Road and out of sight.”

The victim was treated by Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics and then transferred to Antelope Valley Hospital with severe head injuries; she remains in critical condition, according to Bunch.

The intersection at Fort Tejon Road and Pearblossom Highway was closed until approximately 7:30 a.m. to allow for the investigation.

Anyone with information regarding this hit-and-run collision is encouraged to call the Palmdale Sheriff Station’s Traffic Department at 661-272-2400.

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46 comments for "Pedestrian critically injured in Palmdale hit-and-run"

  1. I just wanted to say thank you to Detective Bunch for his prompt and dilligent efforts in this case. Also thank him for being compassionate and kind. I appreciate so much the extra time he has spent answering many questions from my family members and myself.

  2. Update: may she rest in peace and the driver is caught she passed away yesterday this is so sad

  4. R.I.P. Jamie McGinn, many were praying for you. Condolences to the family at this tragic time.

  5. All i know is that Pedestrians always have the right of way and theres no way that this person doesnt know they hit someone theres something wrong with you if you hit someone with your car and dont notice my prayers go out to the girl and family and i hope she will be okay

  7. I wasn’t aware that there was even a crosswalk at 4- Points. Being around 4:30’ish AM when this unfortunate accident happened, I seriously doubt that the car could see the pedestrian.
    It is possible that the driver barely made contact with the pedestrian and wasn’t aware that he/she had even clipped/struck an object. It wouldn’t take much impact at all for an automobile to cause injuries to a person.
    One doesn’t expect to see a person walking across a highway around 4:30 A.M. either- but if the driver IS aware that they hit a person, then they sure should have stopped!

    • She isn’t OK they pronounced her dead around 7pm friday they definitely knew they hit someone. Especially when their front end was smashed.

  8. No excuse for a hit and run, but ya gotta love how our local cops and this “news source” work together to paint the worst possible picture. Repeated mentions of “in the crosswalk”…but no mention of whether it was the pedestrian or the car that was crossing against the red light.

    I have no way to know for certain, but looking at that intersection and the time of day I would bet heavily that it was the pedestrian. If the car had been trying to run that light red they’d probably have hit a car. Again, no excusing a hit and run, but is there a reason for holding back related facts? Other than the habitual making the criminal look as bad as possible just cuz we can, that is.

    • Comment to Tim Scott !! I am a family member to the women hit.. It does not matter the time, it does not matter if she was in the cross walk, it does not matter if she was going against the light !! This person left her like she didn’t matter !!! You don’t leave the scene period !!!!!!! Hopefully this never happens to you. And all someone can think about is what she was doing and not the fact that she was hit and just left..

      • Sherri…please notice that I did say there is no excuse for a hit and run…twice.

        But there is also no excuse for a law enforcement organization or a self styled news source to pick and choose among the facts to make a particular impression. That has nothing to do with you or your family member, it is just the basics of justice and journalism…which are sorely lacking in this story.

          • Story mentions “in the crosswalk” repeatedly. That’s a fact.

            Story says nothing about who had the light. That’s a fact.

            Why do they stress one thing while not disclosing the other? That’s a question. I presented a theory that fits the available facts…that the cops intentionally or habitually just make the villain look as bad as they can, and this “news source” just parrots off whatever the cops tell them. Even KD acknowledged that’s what our “news source” is about; “This story is to help the cops…”

            If you don’t have an alternative theory, but don’t like mine, clearly you have the option of spouting off an accusation that cannot be supported, as you did, but people will generally see through that.

        • Again Tim Scott is bashing Law Enforcement. Every day he doesn’t miss a chance to state his hatred for them. He never takes in consideration the real truth of things or facts that he can’t know himself. He just loves to belittle them. What is the real reason behind his hatred for them? Maybe more than he wants to admit.

          • And once again you demonstrate that the actions of our local sheriff’s deputies may well be indefensible.

            Instead of attacking me with random insinuations, how about suggesting some theory that doesn’t make them look bad (which mine admittedly does) and explaining how it is more likely?

            I suggest that the reason you would rather attack me than the theory is because the theory smacks of “most likely the case” and you know it. Everyone who has ever been involved with our local cops in any capacity is scratching their chin and saying “well, yeah, that sounds like something they would probably do”…even you.

            By the way…calling their behavior into question does not necessarily require “hating” them. It just requires keeping an eye on them, which they have proven repeatedly absolutely needs to be done.

          • Once again you pick and choose some truth, and then you put your biased spin on the rest. All of your comments are theories Tim! You attack commenters on a daily basis, and then you turn things around and play the victim; Telling others they’re attacking you. Fact—A woman was critically injured! Fact—The driver hit this woman and left her to die. Fact—she is in critical condition, and if she lives, will be affected for the rest of her life. Fact—all you care about is your theory.

      • Sherri. How is she doing ?
        a guy name came to my house I guess her boyfriend
        I did know him .
        But he as. Called me by my name.

    • That really is to bad about the victim, I know first hand how bad that intersection really is i spent the past 34 years of my life about a mile southeast of 4 points and have seen so many very bad & fatal accidents at that intersection. And for the the Hit & Run Suspect they will find you just give them sometime.

    • Trying to make the criminal look as bad as possible, you say? A hit and run is already as bad as possible!! Who the hell cares which one was against the red light?? We would know if the damn driver had stuck around! And how would the cops and especially the news know this information right now anyway?! The thing just happened this morning!! They have to investigate it first. This story is to help the cops find the driver that is in the wrong for fleeing the scene. Period. Stop trying to assign blame to this woman who is barely hanging on to her life. Shame on you!

      • Your pretense of a news source has had enough time to be comfortable about saying she was in the crosswalk…repeatedly.

        • Scott idk why eveyones attacking you, you never said the driver wasnt in the wrong. You said “no matter what happened, a hit and run is a hit and run” people read only what they want in a comment. Obviously theres witnesses to say if the light was green for the driver or pedestrian so they do know this and just didnt put it in the artical. I would like to know myself cause it really needs to be brought to light that pedestrians need to protect them selves by following the laws as well. Now no where am i saying the driver didnt do something wrong, he or she should have stopped! Praying for this woman.

        • Tim Scott: Your theory is crap and supported by nothing but your own ego! The driver could have easily run the red light without hitting another car given that it was 4 in the damn morning and the driver didn’t expect to see anyone on the road. This is further supported by the fact that the driver has proven that he/she is the type of person to hit someone and leave the scene without rendering aid. This type of person is more likely to run a red light. In contrast, the pedestrian is someone responsible enough to walk in a crosswalk. Why go through the effort of using a crosswalk is you’re not going to wait for the light? It is also likely that the cops and the media don’t know who had the light and that is why the information is not given out. More than likely the witnesses to this accident were driving in the opposite direction since the witnesses were able to see the model of the car but not get a license plate number. You see we can all create hypothetical situations… But unless you were there, you can’t know for certain. Making up a scenario that puts any kind of blame on the VICTIM of a hit and run makes you absolutely scandalous!! You really should think before commenting. I believe you are trying to discredit the sheriffs but you are only making yourself look heartless and shameful. Smh…

          • You have actually ignored the question that my theory applies to…why is there no mention by the police of the state of the light, while they apparently have plenty of information about where the pedestrian was?

            Your whole post is an attempt to deflect into debating something that we don’t know…and we don’t know it because the cops didn’t share it and our “news source”/police hugging social media maven didn’t ask.

            They have a witness that can say which way the car went after, and identify the make of car with a very narrow range on the year. It is hard to imagine that the witness didn’t say “and they ran the red light” if that is indeed what happened. A driver approaching an intersection is very aware of the state of the light.

            But since you asked some specific questions…

            Why does a pedestrian crossing in a crosswalk not indicate that they are responsible enough that we should assume they had the light? Because the crosswalk is AT THE CORNER. Anyone walking along a street that comes to another street is going to cross in the crosswalk, because that is WHERE THEY ARE. Using the crosswalk, to use the opposite of your inference, is not an effort at all.

            Then there’s the underpinnings of the rest of your comment…that on a weekday at “four in the morning”, which is irrelevant since it was actually five minutes to five, the intersection at four points is so deserted that people are just gonna blow through the light if they feel like it…which is just plain wrong. I suggest you get familiar with commuter routes out of the AV before you try to continue that argument and further embarrass yourself.

          • Do you understand that this woman is being taken off life support because when she was hit her spine was severed!!! She is going to die! Pedestrians in the crosswalk no matter what have the right of way! This is my Sister and you’re a [removed] idiot!!

          • Sorry for your loss. If calling me names makes you feel better, great, glad I can help.

            However, pedestrians in the crosswalk don’t have the right of way if they are crossing against a red light. Motorists are still obligated to avoid them, but that isn’t the same thing as having the right of way. I got a ticket for crossing in a crosswalk against a red light and had that explained to me in detail.

        • Gee Scott-MAYBE THAT’S BECAUSE THE CROSSWALK WAS WHERE HER BODY WAS LYING!

          Here is what we do know:
          -a human being
          -was hit by a driver
          -who fled the scene

          Stop blaming the victim!

          • If you get hit by a car it is going to knock you out of any crosswalk you are in…so your theory is implausible.

            And I already said that the state of the light is EQUALLY irrelevant to the hit and run case as the fact she was in the crosswalk. That’s sort of the point. Since really NOTHING matters here other than exactly what you said, why are the investigators so repetitious about the crosswalk part and not commenting on the state of the light?

      • Yeah tim scott you really should figure out the proper time and place to make your far out comments and misdirected criticisms. You are very either very inconsiderate or very stupid.

    • Have some fellings first man!
      And then your comment is contradictory, you said no excuses, but at the same time you are making excuses as if it was the pedestrian at fault.
      there will always be accidents like this when a pedestrian is hit but no matter what, us the drivers must be more careful and no matter what time of the day is if its dark or not you would see the person that got hit.
      and a hit and run will never, never! Be excused.

      • I assume this is the same Tony who makes unsupported accusations on a regular basis.

        In this case I gave no opinion on “fault.” I did ask why the cops and this “news source” provide some facts and not others. If you don’t like the question, fine, but if you are going to publicly pretend the question is something that it isn’t you’ll just wind up looking silly.

        • You absolutely did give an opinion on fault, albeit indirectly. Betting heavily that it was the pedestrian crossing against the red light is giving an opinion on fault. If someone is crossing against the red light, aren’t they at fault? And like I said before, the “facts” of which party was against the red light is not something that can be determined on the day of the accident. Even witnesses at the scene are often wrong. These facts usually come out after a complete investigation. Your point was to make the cops and media look bad for not saying who had the light, and in your misguided attempt you ended up throwing this poor hit and run victim under the bus. It never even crossed your mind that the investigation is ongoing and those “related facts” as you call them might not have been determined yet.

        • You are right Tim!
          This is the same Tony all around my dear!
          You need to start been more on the victims’s side than on the criminals.

          • As I said, your style was unmistakable.

            BTW…my question about how this was presented by the LACSD and swallowed by the “news source” does not have anything to do with “taking sides”, and other than a few offended apologists I’d guess most readers can see that.

    • How many times a week have you driven through that intersection to be familiar with it, or the vehicles that speed through the lights in a hurry every weekday morning? As a recent former commuter of that intersection and knowing for certain, especially that time of day, I will educate you Tim. The odds are in favor of the vehicle having run the light and hit the pedestrian. I would bet heavily on that because I saw it happen EVERY weekday morning. There is no IF the car had been TRYING to run the red light… EVERY TIME cars run the red light speeding through that intersection Monday through Friday 4 am – 8 am in a hurry to get to work. Did I mention vehicles run the red lights at this intersection ALL THE TIME?It doesn’t matter what hour it is either.

      And Tim? Criminals make themselves look bad all by themselves.

      *kiss on your cheek* Have a nice day :-)

      • Red, do you really think that if the hit and run driver had been running the red light our favorite law enforcement agency…which was REPEATEDLY stressing how the pedestrian was in a crosswalk, would have left out that little fact? What’s their reasoning? They don’t want to make a hit and run driver look bad, so they just won’t mention that he was running a red light?

        I would have thought that during morning commute hours there would be cross traffic from people coming from Littlerock/Pearblossom taking Pearblossom Highway towards the 14 that would make running that light way to high risk to be a routine thing, but my commuting experience is out of date and I always caught PBH at Sierra, so I will bow to your familiarity with the intersection in question.

        Thanks for the kiss, and you have a nice day too.

        • Tim, why do you bash the LASD so much? Is it because you applied to be a sheriff and they saw how much of a troll you are?

          • Why do you speculate (poorly, I might add) about me instead of defending them? Could it be because you recognize that what I say about them is true, so rather than dispute it you just want to create a distraction?

    • Maybe they don’t know the state of the light. Knowing the type of car might imply there was a witness, but the story makes no mention of that. Is it possible that information came from the cameras at the Mobil station? Or does that blow your whole witness information withholding conspiracy?

      • Yeah it would. And your theory is as good as any. Gas station video that shows the accident might not pick up any lights.