Man Igniting Fireworks in Road Dies After Being Hit by Car

A man who was setting off fireworks in the road before the Fourth of July holiday was killed in a hit-and-run accident on Monday night.

The victim, a 36-year-old, was struck by a sport utility vehicle and thrown some distance into the path of another car, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) told Newsweek. The incident happened in the L.A. County neighborhood of Wilmington, California, at around 9:10 p.m.

Police are now trying to trace the first driver, who failed to stop at the scene. Detectives believe the suspect is a Hispanic woman. Anyone with information about the incident should contact the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

Officer Drake Madison, of LAPD, issued an email statement reading: "On July 3, 2023, around 9:10 p.m., a fatal traffic collision occurred in the 700 block of North Fries Avenue. The victim (male, 36 years) was standing in the street, lighting fireworks, when he was struck by a vehicle, traveling north on Fries from "G" Street. The driver of that vehicle (female Hispanic, no further information) continued driving after the collision, failing to stop to render aid as required by law.

"The victim was then struck by a second vehicle. The driver of the second vehicle stayed at scene. The victim was pronounced dead at scene by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics. South Traffic Division is handling the investigation."

Police and fire crews raced to the site of the accident near the Food 4 Less grocery store at 710 N. Fries Avenue, to find that the impact from the initial collision had hurled the victim beneath another vehicle that was leaving a nearby parking lot.

The Los Angeles Fire Department released a brief statement about the incident on its website, saying: "36 year-old male reportedly in the roadway, possibly igniting fireworks when struck by a sport utility vehicle. Thrown a distance, he landed partially beneath but was not trapped by another vehicle exiting a shopping center parking lot. The man was determined deceased[...] at the scene. No other persons injured."

The victim has not been publicly identified and no further details about the suspect or the car have yet been released.

Newsweek has reached out to LAPD by email for further information and comment.

The tragedy came just a day after a Texas woman was fatally struck by a hit-and-run driver as she changed her tire by the roadside in Houston on Sunday.

The LAPD has been running a high-profile awareness campaign online reminding L.A. residents that all fireworks are illegal in the city for safety reasons and to avoid distressing veterans and pets with the noise. Residents were urged to attend a public show and warned not to buy their own fireworks.

Some cities have been planning drone light shows instead of fireworks events this year, due to environment concerns about the chemicals used and risk of wildfires. Salt Lake City in Utah, Boulder in Colorado, and North Lake Tahoe in Nevada are among those ditching firework displays.

Last year, several people were killed across the U.S. in fireworks accidents around the Fourth of July.

While a critically injured man may face criminal charges when he recovers from being severely injured, after handling commercial-grade fireworks without a permit in Cary, Illinois on Sunday night.