Hyde Park Volunteers Paint Crosswalk After 16-Year-Old Hernan Martinez Killed in Hit-and-Run

Residents and street-safety advocates in Los Angeles took matters into their own hands on Sunday, painting an unauthorized crosswalk at the intersection of West 60th Street and 10th Avenue in Hyde Park. The action came five days after 16-year-old Hernan Martinez was killed and his 13-year-old sister, Vicky, was critically injured in a hit-and-run collision there on Sept. 22.

What Happened

The Los Angeles Police Department said a blue Nissan Sentra was traveling east on 60th Street at high speed at about 9:30 p.m. when it struck Hernandez and his sister while they were crossing near 10th Avenue. Surveillance video obtained by local outlets reportedly shows the vehicle approaching the intersection quickly and appearing to run a stop sign before the impact. The car continued down the block, crashed into a parked vehicle and was left disabled. A female driver and a male passenger then exited the Sentra and fled the scene on foot.

Hernan Martinez died at the scene. His sister Vicky was taken to a hospital with serious injuries; the family later told reporters she suffered a fractured pelvis and required surgery. Neighbors rushed to help after the crash, local reports said. Police continue to search for the individuals who fled the vehicle and have kept the investigation open.

The Protest

About a dozen volunteers gathered to paint a pedestrian crossing at the site of the crash. Organizers from People’s Vision Zero — a group focused on pedestrian safety — coordinated the demonstration. Volunteers painted Hernan's name into one of the crosswalk stripes as a memorial and to draw attention to the risk to people walking in the neighborhood.

Jonathan Hale, founder of People’s Vision Zero, told KTLA the painted crossing was intended as a protest to pressure city leaders to implement engineered safety measures. Hale emphasized that paint alone is symbolic and not a substitute for permanent traffic-calming solutions such as speed bumps, lane-narrowing designs, raised crosswalks or other physical changes that slow vehicle speeds.

Community Concerns And Context

Residents said the intersection and surrounding blocks have long been dangerous for pedestrians. Christian Hernandez, a lifelong Hyde Park resident, told reporters that drivers routinely ignore traffic rules in the neighborhood. Erica Escobar, who lives across from the crash site and has children, said the street’s conditions have made her fearful for their safety.

People’s Vision Zero published an analysis stating that nine pedestrians were struck along a three-block stretch of 60th Street between 2015 and 2025, and that seven of those incidents were classified by the group as felony hit-and-runs. Local outlets reported those figures as the organization’s count; the numbers were not independently verified by all newsrooms.

Previous Actions And Official Response

The group has used unauthorized crosswalk painting before to draw attention to pedestrian safety. Local reporting says Hale was cited by the LAPD during a similar December 2025 painting in Westwood, and that the city later did not pursue misdemeanor vandalism charges in that case. City officials have previously objected to volunteers marking public streets without authorization and have urged communities to work through official safety-improvement channels.

KTLA reported that it contacted the Los Angeles mayor’s office and the City Council president for comment about the Hyde Park crosswalk and had not received a response by the time of its broadcast. Meanwhile, police continue to investigate the Sept. 22 collision and are seeking the driver and passenger who fled the scene.

Note: The painting was described by organizers as a protest intended to spur engineered, long-term safety fixes rather than a permanent substitute for them.