The hit-and-run driver slammed into a parked car before ramming his vehicle into the back of Lydia Ray's postal truck Saturday afternoon, throwing Ray from the vehicle. The incident happened near the intersection of Santa Fe and Euclid avenues in Compton.
Juan Mosquera and nearby residents freed Ray, 41, from being partly pinned underneath a car after it happened.
"How could another human being do that, run away like that? It was an accident, stay there. It's an accident. Ran away like a coward," said Mosquera. "I hope they catch him."
Witnesses say they saw the driver flee the scene.
"I see a black/dark-colored BMW just rolling down the street fast," said Israel Hernandez. "I come over here to see the mail truck all bashed up and some guy holding the mail lady. We had to pick up the car to get her out from under the car."
"She has severe injuries: broken legs, cuts to her arms, internal injries. The driver that caused the first collision continued southbound on Santa Fe," said L.A. County Sheriff's Sgt. Peter Ramirez. "That vehicle is described as a 1995 to 2000 BMW, probably like a 325i or 328i. It's blue in color. It's going to have minor traffic-collision damage to the front of the vehicle."
Postal officials say Ray is a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Postal Service. Residents in the area where she was injured say she is loved by many people in the community.
"She's a real nice lady, everybody in the community knows her, she's a real kind-hearted lady," said Hernandez.
"It's bad that bad things happen to good people," said Mosquera.
Anyone with information related to the case should call Los Angeles Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.
