SOUTH LOS ANGELES, CA (November 13, 2025) — A bicycle rider who was killed in a hit-and-run collision in the South Park neighborhood has been identified as 37-year-old Efrain Rivas Martinez. According to the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office, Martinez was unhoused.
Accident Details: Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to the 700 block of East Vernon Avenue between Avalon Boulevard and McKinley Avenue at 7:25 p.m. Wednesday regarding a person down, Officer Charles Miller told City News Service.
Officers found Martinez lying in the street next to his bicycle. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to the scene and pronounced Martinez dead. Witnesses told police they saw a motorcycle rider leaving the scene but could not provide a description.
Investigation: The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the hit-and-run collision. Witnesses reported seeing a motorcycle rider departing the area following the crash, but were unable to give officers a detailed description of the rider or the motorcycle.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about the collision or the fleeing motorcycle rider to contact the LAPD.
Legal Considerations: Hit-and-run crashes involving vulnerable road users like bicyclists demonstrate a callous disregard for human life. California law requires all drivers, including motorcyclists, to stop immediately after a collision, render aid, and provide identifying information. Fleeing the scene of a fatal crash is a felony that carries significant prison time.
Homeless victims of traffic crashes face unique challenges, as they often lack family members who can immediately advocate for them or pursue legal remedies. However, California wrongful death law still applies, and certain relatives or estate representatives may bring claims on behalf of the deceased.
When a hit-and-run driver remains unidentified, pursuing compensation becomes difficult. The California Victims Compensation Board may provide some assistance with burial expenses for families who cannot afford funeral costs. If the driver is eventually located, criminal restitution and civil claims can seek to hold them accountable.
Our condolences to those who knew and cared for Efrain Rivas Martinez.
Source: MyNewsLA