A blue Nissan blew a stop sign at highway speed, and a South Los Angeles family never made it across the street.
Story Snapshot
- Police named Raygine Glentasia Evans as the suspected driver in a deadly hit-and-run.
- Sixteen-year-old Hernan Martinez died; his younger sister suffered critical injuries.
- Detectives offered a $50,000 reward after leads ran dry.
- Hit-and-runs now make up a large share of serious crashes in Los Angeles.
Police identify a suspect and ask the public for help
Los Angeles detectives said a blue 2025 Nissan Sentra with California plate 9UVV136 sped east on 60th Street around 9:35 p.m. on September 22, 2026. The driver ran a stop sign at 10th Avenue and hit two pedestrians, siblings Hernan Martinez, 16, and his teenage sister. Officers said the driver and a passenger left the car and fled. Police identified the suspected driver as Raygine Glentasia Evans and announced a $50,000 reward for information that leads to her arrest and conviction.
Local outlets reported the impact speed near 80 miles per hour, the abandoned car, and the immediate flight on foot. Coverage also highlighted Evans as wanted in a string of robberies across the city and a history of reckless driving citations, details that sharpen the public-safety stakes while the search continues. While those reports add context, the core timeline and identification come from the police advisory itself.
What happened at the Hyde Park intersection
The siblings tried to cross near 60th Street and 10th Avenue with their family. The Nissan entered the intersection without stopping, struck them, and kept going after the occupants ditched it. First responders rushed both victims to the hospital. Hernan died from his injuries. His sister remained in critical condition in the days that followed. The scene matched a pattern officers know well: a powerful impact, scattered debris, a silent car, and a driver already gone.
Witness accounts described a horrific few seconds between the brake lights and the stillness after impact. Residents from nearby blocks gathered as officers taped off the street and canvassed for video. Detectives tracked the registered owner, examined the car, and pulled camera footage from homes and businesses. After weeks of work, they went public with the suspect’s name and the reward, a step they reserve for the hardest cases when community tips can break the wall of silence.
Why hit-and-run cases keep rising and why this one resonates
California road deaths now include a significant share of hit-and-runs. A recent review by the American Automobile Association Foundation found that 10.5 percent of the state’s fatal crashes from 2017 to 2023 involved a fleeing driver, with pedestrians and cyclists hit hardest. Los Angeles transportation officials report that hit-and-runs account for about one-fifth of deadly or severe crashes citywide and an even larger share when the victim is on foot. That is the backdrop for Hyde Park’s loss.
Conservative common sense says streets need clear rules, real enforcement, and swift consequences. The law sets a simple duty after a crash: stop, help, identify yourself, and face what happened. Leaving people to bleed while you run is not a traffic mistake; it is a moral failure dressed as flight. When police name a suspect and put up reward money, they are betting the community values duty over fear. That bet is how many hit-and-run cases finally close.
What public safety needs next
Detectives asked anyone who saw the crash, the driver, or the car before or after to come forward. The fastest tip is often the one that matters, and money on the table brings calls. The city can also reduce repeat harm with visible traffic enforcement on known danger blocks, fast fixes like brighter stop signs, and speed calming. None of that replaces justice for Hernan. It does honor him by making the next family’s walk home safer.
Sources:
nypost.com, telemundo52.com, thelalocal.org, mwg.aaa.com, publichealth.lacounty.gov
