A woman on a skateboard died Thursday morning, Feb. 13, in a hit-and-run crash in Playa Del Rey, and a suspect was later arrested, authorities said.
When officers arrived at the intersection of Pershing Drive and Manchester Avenue, around 1:15 a.m., they found the victim lying on the roadway, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Patricia Ann O’Donnell, 48, died at the scene, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. Her hometown was not known.
Patrick Finkelstein, 45, of Santa Monica, was booked on suspicion of “vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence,” and bail was set at $100,000, the LAPD reported.
O’Donnell had walked out of a nearby business and was showing a friend her skateboard — initially riding in a parking lot before going into the street — when she was struck in the No. 2 lane of Pershing Drive by a vehicle traveling northbound, LAPD Capt. Brian Wendling said.
The driver of the vehicle, described as a black Audi A5, failed to stop and fled the scene, police said.
“Officers conducted a follow-up, (and) the driver of the Audi was subsequently arrested, and the Audi was impounded as evidence,” an LAPD statement said. “The preliminary investigation has revealed this is an alcohol/drug-related traffic collision.”
