The crash was reported at approximately 3:21 a.m. at the intersection of Branford and Telfair near an encampment.
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Los Angeles police said a Chevy pickup truck going eastbound on Branford veered off the roadway and crashed into a parked car, killing the person sleeping inside.
The victim, who was believed to be living in the car, was pronounced dead at the scene.
"He just didn't deserve this," said Matthew Tillis, who said he knew the victim.
Tillis said the victim had fallen on hard times, and had lost his condo and his job.
The intensity of the crash caused the parked car that was struck to collide with another car parked in front of it.
"The impact of the collision was so tremendous that it actually forced that first vehicle up and over a second vehicle, where there was also an individual sleeping inside," Capt. Andy Nieman of the Los Angeles Police Department said.
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The person in the second vehicle struck was not severely injured, police said.
Police also said empty beer bottles and drug paraphernalia appeared to be in the truck and the suspect fled the scene by foot.
Police have not determined how fast the suspect was going.