Colombian man identified as cyclist killed by fleeing driver in Los Angeles

Travis Schlepp
·2 min read
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A 46-year-old native of Colombia has been identified as the cyclist hit and killed by a fleeing driver in Los Angeles Wednesday morning.

Jose David Monsalve Rojas was hit in the Central-Alameda neighborhood by a vehicle allegedly driven by 23-year-old Germaine Smith.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers responded to the area around 6:10 a.m. after a woman who was the victim of a burglary the night before informed them that she was tracking her stolen electronic device.

She believed her device was in the suspect’s vehicle and she contacted police to report its location, police said.

Officers found the vehicle, a gold Chevrolet Suburban, parked in front of an apartment building at East 48th Street and South Central Avenue.

A police vehicle approached the SUV from behind and flashed its lights, and the driver of the vehicle immediately drove off at high speeds down Central Avenue, police said.

Police pursued and a brief chase began down several surface streets, but it came to an end after the SUV struck the passing cyclist and then collided with several vehicles and a telephone pole before rolling and landing on its roof.

A white canopy is set up over what appears to be a victim of a pursuit crash in Los Angeles on April 24, 2024.
A white canopy is set up over what appears to be a victim of a pursuit crash in Los Angeles on April 24, 2024.

The driver then fled the scene on foot, but was quickly captured, arrested and identified as Smith.

Monsalve Rojas was pronounced dead at the scene. On Thursday, police announced that the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner had identified him and said he was a native of Colombia.

A GoFundMe page set up by loved ones describes Monsalve Rojas as a father of five who left Colombia in search of a better life and had a dream, they said, of curing his daughter’s liver disease.

“Imagine, a regular morning now turned into a day we’ll never forget,” the campaign organizer wrote. “David touched lives in ways that words can barely capture. A soul so deeply devoted to his children.”

Smith has since been booked into jail to await charges for felony evading causing death. He also had additional outstanding warrants, bringing his total bail amount to $327,000.

Police said additional stolen property belonging to several different people was found inside the stolen vehicle.

Anyone with information about the deadly collision is urged to contact LAPD Traffic Group Detectives at 213-486-0690. Anonymous tips can be provided online or by calling 800-222-8477.

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