Ruby Ortiz, 33, was killed early Friday on the westbound 118 Freeway in Mission Hills, where the driver left the scene.
MISSION HILLS, CA — A Los Angeles County family is seeking answers after 33-year-old Ruby Ortiz was struck and killed in a hit-and-run on the Ronald Reagan Freeway early Friday, leaving investigators with few publicly released details about the vehicle or driver involved.
The California Highway Patrol received a report of the collision at about 6:06 a.m. Nov. 6 on the westbound 118 Freeway, just west of the Golden State Freeway interchange. Authorities said the pedestrian was struck by a vehicle whose driver did not remain at the scene. Ortiz was later identified as the person who died.
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner lists Ortiz as 33 years old and records her place of death as a freeway. Publicly available case information confirms that she died Nov. 6. A separate report citing the Medical Examiner’s Office said she died from blunt force trauma.
Investigators had not publicly explained why Ortiz was on the freeway before she was struck. Early reports also did not include a description of the vehicle believed to have hit her, leaving one of the most important questions in the investigation unresolved.
The crash happened near one of the San Fernando Valley’s major freeway junctions, where the 118 meets Interstate 5. Authorities issued a Sigalert at 6:40 a.m. and closed the far left lane of the westbound 118 while officers investigated the scene.
Traffic backed up to San Fernando Road on the 118 and also affected motorists using the connector from the 5 Freeway to the westbound 118. The lane closure came during the Friday morning commute as investigators worked in the area where Ortiz was struck.
Initial reports did not identify a suspected driver, provide a license plate number or describe the make, model or color of the vehicle. Authorities also had not publicly released a detailed sequence of events explaining what happened immediately before the collision.
Those unanswered questions have left Ortiz’s loved ones waiting for more information about the final moments before the crash and about the person who drove away. No arrest or identification of a driver had been publicly announced in the verified reports reviewed as of Sunday.
The California Highway Patrol remained the investigating agency. Further details, including information about the vehicle, possible witnesses or evidence collected from the freeway, had not been publicly released in the available reports.
Author note: Last updated November 8, 2026.