A 65-year-old man has died days after being struck by a woman on an e-scooter in Koreatown earlier in September. Police are investigating the incident as a hit-and-run offense.
According to Los Angeles police, Donny Kim was out to dinner with Jenny, his wife of more than 40 years, on September 12 when he walked onto the sidewalk in the 2800 block of James M. Wood Boulevard around 4:45 p.m.
Then Kim was hit by an unknown woman, who kept running away instead of checking on him.
The force of the impact threw him to the ground, hitting his head on the concrete. He initially refused to go to the hospital, but was admitted shortly thereafter. He began vomiting and showed signs of traumatic brain injury.
According to her family, Kim’s wife was very upset when it happened.
“She just felt really helpless and scared because she said he was bleeding out on the sidewalk and she was looking for her phone and trying to help him,” said Susan Park, the couple’s cousin. “These people didn’t even help or offer help, they just left.”
Now, more than a week later, Kim has been declared brain dead and taken off life support due to the injuries he sustained.
“They said they couldn’t operate, the damage was too great,” Park said.
The family hopes that by going public with the story, they can let the woman, who they believe panicked when she decided to leave the area after the crash, know that the person she hit is ultimately dead. They also hope the incident can lead city officials to make what they call necessary changes when it comes to scooter safety.
“I don’t think this person on the scooter realized she had killed a person,” Park said.
According to police, the identified woman was riding a Lime scooter and wearing a pink T-shirt at the time of the crash.
When asked for comment, Lime released a statement to KCAL News saying, “Lime is deeply saddened by this incident and our condolences go out to the victim. We are investigating this matter internally and stand ready to assist law enforcement in any way we can.”
According to the family, there is no control over the scooter, which can make it dangerous for the people around them.
“There’s no enforcement, and when they ride on the sidewalk, which they shouldn’t, you see it everywhere,” Park said. “People are riding without helmets and it’s dangerous.”
Lime provides cyclists with maps showing where they are and are not allowed to cycle, and areas where they should drive more slowly.
Anyone who recognizes the woman in the video is asked to contact LAPD detectives.
