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1900 Pico Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 434-4000

By Jorge Casuso

August 9, 2021 -- A woman was struck and killed by a vehicle on Main Street early Saturday morning, marking the third pedestrian fatality in Santa Monica this year.

The incident comes less than one week after a DUI driver fatally hit a man outside a Santa Monica bar last Monday, leading to a police investigation that resulted in murder charges being filed by County prosecutors ("Hit-and-Run Driver Charged with Murder," August 4, 2021).

Saturday's incident took place at around 2:30 a.m. near the corner of Main Street and Ashland Avenue, according to police.

"The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and cooperated with officers" assigned to the Major Accident Response Team (MART), said Lt. Rudy Flores, the Police Department spokesman.

"The unidentified victim was transported to a local hospital where she succumbed to her injuries," Flores said.

Unlike last Monday's early morning fatality outside Busby's Restaurant and Bar, which was an “intentional act,” Saturday's incident is being investigated as a traffic collision, Flores said.

It is the second fatal traffic collision involving a pedestrian this year, according to police.

On the night of May 2, a 50-year-old homeless woman was struck and killed by a car on a 10 Freeway on-ramp ("Homeless Woman Killed Walking on Freeway On-Ramp," May 3, 2021).

According to Police Department data, there were four fatal traffic collisions involving pedestrians last year and three in 2019.

In 2018, there were no pedestrian fatalities following a record eight the previous year.

The 2017 fatalities prompted the City Council to order faster action on a sweeping re-design of city streets to enhance pedestrian safety and carve a post for a Safe Streets "Czar" ("Santa Monica City Council Calls for Safe Streets 'Czar,'" May 11, 2017).

Saturday's incident remains an active investigation. Anyone with additional information pertaining to the incident should call the Santa Monica Police Department’s Traffic Division at 310-458-8993 or Watch Commander (24 hours) at 310-458-8427.