An 80-year-old man and his dog were killed; the luxury sedan was found abandoned without plates a few blocks away.
LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles police are searching for the driver of a Maserati that struck and killed an 80-year-old pedestrian and his dog late Tuesday in Sherman Oaks, then fled the scene. The crash happened about 11:35 p.m. at Woodman Avenue and Moorpark Street, and the car was later found abandoned nearby.
Authorities say the collision has entered the evidence-gathering phase as detectives review video, canvass for witnesses and examine the recovered Maserati for fingerprints and DNA. The case is drawing quick attention because the vehicle, described as a Maserati Quattroporte, lacked license plates when it was located, and because the driver briefly stopped before leaving, according to police. The Valley Traffic Division is leading the investigation. The deaths add to a persistent hit-and-run problem in the San Fernando Valley and have prompted a standard city reward offer for tips leading to a conviction.
Police said the man was walking with his dog along Woodman Avenue, heading north near Moorpark Street, when a northbound Maserati swerved and hit them shortly after 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. Paramedics took the man to a hospital, where he died. The dog was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver “failed to stop or render aid,” police said, and continued a short distance before abandoning the damaged car several blocks away. A tow truck removed the vehicle as detectives documented debris patterns and marked measurements on the pavement under streetlights and police tape. Officers remained in the area into the early morning, blocking lanes and directing overnight traffic around the intersection.
Investigators later found the Maserati with significant front-end damage near Mammoth Avenue and Milbank Street, a residential pocket less than a mile from the crash. The sedan did not have plates and did not immediately return to a California registration, detectives said. Early statements indicate the driver paused after the impact but never stepped out, then drove off. Officials also noted reports that passengers may have been inside the Maserati, though their roles remain unclear. The victim’s name has not been released pending family notification. Police described the dog as a Rottweiler. Officers from the Los Angeles Fire Department pronounced the animal dead near a curbside vehicle after the collision.
Tuesday’s crash occurred in a busy corridor lined with apartments and neighborhood shops that feed traffic toward the 101 and 405 freeways. Woodman Avenue has seen prior serious collisions, and community groups have pressed for safer crossings in parts of the Valley over the past decade. Fatal hit-and-runs remain a recurring issue in Los Angeles, with city leaders previously approving rewards in such cases and urging motorists to stop and cooperate after crashes. In this incident, detectives are looking at security cameras from nearby homes and businesses that may show the Maserati before or after impact, and license-plate reader data is being reviewed to determine whether the car recently circulated with temporary tags or out-of-state registration.
Valley Traffic Division detectives collected the Maserati for forensic processing, focusing on damage patterns, paint transfer and any interior trace evidence. Officials said a city reward of up to $50,000 applies for information leading to an arrest and conviction in a fatal hit-and-run case. Investigators are also running the vehicle identification number through multiple databases and checking for recent body work that could tie shop records to the car. If passengers were present, detectives will seek to identify them through neighborhood canvassing and video to establish who was behind the wheel at the time of impact. No arrests had been announced as of Wednesday afternoon, and police had not released a suspect description.
By midmorning Wednesday, yellow tape still cordoned off part of Woodman as neighbors stepped around chalk outlines and dotted evidence markers. A small cluster of flowers appeared along the curb near the bike lane. “It’s heartbreaking to see this happen on our block,” said a neighbor who walked by with a flashlight before sunrise. “That driver needs to come forward,” the neighbor added. Later, an officer could be seen speaking with residents on porches about doorbell cameras while crews cleared glass from the roadway. Family members gathered quietly near the scene and spoke with detectives as the car was hauled away.
As of Wednesday, the investigation remained active with forensic lab work underway on the recovered vehicle and detectives continuing to canvas the neighborhood for video. Police said the next update will come after preliminary tests on the car and any new witness interviews, expected in the days ahead. A coroner’s identification and the official cause and manner of death are pending. Detectives plan to brief supervisors on additional findings once they have a clearer timeline of the Maserati’s movements before and after the collision.
Author note: Last updated January 28, 2026.