Beloved grandmother killed in hit-and-run crash while walking dogs in North Hills

Leanne Suter Image
Wednesday, October 4, 2023
Beloved grandmother killed in North Hills hit-and-run crash
A family is devastated by the sudden loss of a beloved grandmother and mother who was killed in a hit-and-run crash in North Hills.

NORTH HILLS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A family is devastated by the sudden loss of a beloved grandmother and mother who was killed in a hit-and-run crash in North Hills.

Adriana Sanchez, 50, was walking her two dogs, Rocky and Charlie, around 6 a.m. Monday when she was struck and killed by a car at Burnett Avenue and Rayen Street. She was in a marked crosswalk when she was hit.

Her heartbroken family is now struggling to comprehend the loss.

"I think it's really inhumane what happened... You just ripped somebody away, you ripped a mother away, you ripped a grandmother away from her whole family. Everybody here loves her so much, and the fact you were able to see her on the floor like that and drive away is really heartbreaking," said her daughter, Naomi Hidalgo.

After they were hit, her two traumatized dogs ran back home. Rocky suffered a cut near his eye and was left with tire marks on his hind leg.

Sanchez was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Her daughter says she loved to hike and dance, but her true love was her family.

"My mom was so loved. She was such a free spirit... She was the greatest grandma in the world. She loved my kids. So it's really heartbreaking to see somebody just rip all that away in a matter of seconds," Hidalgo said.

A GoFundMe has been established to help her family.

At this point, police have very little to go on in terms of a suspect or vehicle description.

However, Rayen and Burnett is a very busy intersection so Sanchez's family is certain there were witnesses.

"I know somebody saw something, somebody knows something. Just please come forward, any information - anything you saw, anything helps. We want justice for her. We want this person to be caught," her daughter said.

Anybody with information is urged to contact detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department at (818) 644-8114 or (818) 644-8033.