ALTADENA — A 54-year-old Altadena man died early Friday after he was struck by a car while jogging on Mendocino Street, authorities said.
The name of the man was not released pending notification of his family, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Chief of Operations Ed Winter said.
The driver who struck him was briefly detained and is being investigated on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, however he was not arrested Friday, California Highway Patrol Officer Kevin Denmon said. The case was expected to be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for possible prosecution.
The fatal collision took place just before 6:40 a.m. on East Mendocino Avenue, just west of Braeburn Road, Denmon said.
A 2004 Chevrolet was being driven east on Mendocino Street by a 58-year-old San Marino man in the left-hand lane at an unknown speed prior to the collision, Denmon said.
The jogger was also headed east on Mendocino Street, as well as a 1998 Mercedes-Benz being driven ahead of the Chevrolet by a 61-year-old Los Angeles man, the officer said.
For reasons that remained under investigation, Denmon said, the driver of the Chevrolet allowed his vehicle to veer to the right side of the road, striking the jogger. The Chevrolet then continued traveling east and crashed into the Mercedes-Benz as well.
Rescuers took the injured jogger to Huntington Hospital in Arcadia, where he was pronounced dead about a half an hour after being struck, Denmon said.
The driver of the Mercedes-Benz was taken to a hospital for treatment of apparently minor injuries, he added.
Witnesses were asked to contact the CHP’s Altadena office at 626-296-8100.