Man hospitalized in critical condition after hit-and-run in Valley Glen; suspect sought

VALLEY GLEN, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles police are searching for a hit-and-run suspect who left a 29-year-old man hospitalized in critical condition.

Tyler Orona was trying to cross Sherman Way after grabbing lunch in Valley Glen last week, but he never made it home.

Security video shows he was hit and tossed in the air by a car described by police as a white four-door Infiniti sedan. He was left with so many serious injuries, doctors are performing new surgeries every day.

Family told Eyewitness News that Orona's injuries include two broken femurs, a dislocated arm, a crushed pelvis, fluid in his lungs and a lost toe.

When Orona's family first got the call from the hospital they were told he might not survive the night.

"Then they told us that he's going to make it, but if he does make it he's going to be paralyzed," Orona's sister Gia Vidovic said. "But I guess now they're saying he'll be able to walk, it's just going to be a long time of therapy, like over a year of therapy, and he's going to be in the hospital for months."

As Orona remains in critical condition, the family is turning their attention to the driver who didn't stop.

LAPD has released security video of the hit-and-run in hopes someone recognizes the suspect vehicle. The crash happened in the area of Sherman Way and Coldwater Canyon Avenue around 4:35 p.m. last Wednesday.

The family also hopes the driver or someone with information will come forward. They said they've watched the surveillance video several times and can't understand why the white sedan seems to swerve toward their brother, not away.

"I hope eventually they decide to stop hiding and show who they are because either way they're going to be found one day," Vidovic said. "It's just really messed up because my whole family is forever changed because of this moment."

The family said hospital bills are already starting to add up, so they've started a GoFundMe page to help pay for the surgeries and recovery.