Man on scooter fatally struck, dragged 150 feet in South LA hit-and-run; police searching for driver

SOUTH LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles Police Department is searching for a driver who struck a man riding a scooter Sunday and left him for dead in the middle of a busy intersection in South Los Angeles.

It happened around 1 a.m. near the intersection of Main Street and Manchester Avenue, in the Broadway-Manchester section of South L.A.

According to investigators, the victim, described only as a man in his 40s, was riding a scooter when he was hit and dragged about 150 feet.

The driver did not remain at the scene.

The first people who arrived at the scene were a pair of news photographers, including AIR7 cameraman Marcel Melanson.

Melanson, a former firefighter, said he tried to help the man by performing CPR.

"As a cameraman, you never want to become the story, but as a person who's been trained in first aid and CPR, and nobody else is on scene doing it, it's kind of like your responsibility to then jump in and do CPR," he said. "I mean, if it was me, or my loved one, I'd want the same so, it was one of those situations where you just jump in and help as much as you can."

Despite Melanson's efforts, the victim died at the scene.

A detailed description of the driver was not immediately available. Police are hoping to speak with any witnesses and track down any surveillance cameras that may have captured the incident or the driver's vehicle involved.

Anyone with information is urged to contact police.