The incident happened around 6:15 p.m. at the intersection of 78th Street and Crenshaw Boulevard.
Police say Markeis Vonreece Parish, 18, of Los Angeles was crossing in an unmarked crosswalk on Crenshaw Boulevard when a driver hit him.
Parish was taken to a local hospital but shortly succumbed to his injuries.
Officers found the driver's car, an early 2000s model silver Mercedes, abandoned about an hour later. The driver has not been found but has been described as a black male.
Community members hope to get a traffic signal installed at 78th Street. They say the intersection is dangerous.
Markeis was getting ready for his senior year of high school. He was a popular student who loved sports.
Anyone with information about the hit-and-run was asked to contact LAPD South Traffic Detectives Mendoza or Yount at (323) 421-2500 or (323) 421-2540.