Hit-and-run crash kills pedestrian in South LA

A man was killed early Thursday after being struck by a hit-and-run driver in South LA.

The crash was reported just before 1:40 a.m. on Vernon and Towne avenues, where officers found a man in his 40s. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A preliminary investigation found that a vehicle going Westbound on Vernon Avenue hit the pedestrian on the east side of the intersection. It's unclear if the man was in a crosswalk or not, but the impact of the crash apparently knocked his shoes off. An airsoft gun was also found at the scene, and it's unclear whether it was involved in the incident and who it might belong to.

The suspect vehicle was described as a possible black truck.

The intersection was closed to traffic for the fatal crash investigation.