Crash survivor killed in hit-and-run as he crosses freeway, police say

An 18-year-old man was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver early Saturday as he tried to run across the 5 Freeway in Sunland after surviving a multivehicle crash, officials said.

The incident occurred at 4:20 a.m. in the freeway’s northbound lanes north of Tuxford Street, authorities said.

The man was a passenger in a 2000 Honda Accord coupe that collided with a big rig, said Officer Monica Posada of the California Highway Patrol. The car came to a stop, blocking the two left lanes.

The man, identified as a resident of Santa Clarita, along with two other people, tried to run to safety when a third vehicle, a 1997 Toyota Corolla, crashed into the big rig, authorities said.

A fourth vehicle then struck the man and sped off. No details were available on the vehicle. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the Corolla, a 27-year-old resident of Palmdale, experienced moderate injuries, authorities said.

“Whenever possible it’s advisable, if you can, to move yourself to safety” after a crash, Posada said. “But each situation has different variables. This was definitely a difficult one.”

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esmeralda.bermudez@latimes.com