Hit-And-Run Driver Dies In Separate Crash In Laguna Beach, Police Say

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — A woman allegedly involved in a hit-and-run crash in Rancho Mission Viejo was later fatally struck in a crash in Laguna Beach, police said Thursday.

Laguna Beach police officers responded to the fatal crash just after 7 p.m. Wednesday on El Toro Road south of the 73 Toll Road overpass, according to the Laguna Beach Police Department.

Upon arrival, first responders found a 46-year-old woman suffering from injuries, and she was rushed to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, where she was later pronounced dead.

Her identity was not released.

Investigators suspect the woman was behind the wheel of a U-Haul truck involved in a hit-and-run crash earlier that day in Rancho Mission Viejo, police said. The other driver trailed her as she fled and parked the truck next to the roadway, blocking the outbound lane of El Toro.

The woman got out of the truck and was "walking inbound on El Toro Road" as passersby attempted to move the truck out of the way, police said. She was then hit by a vehicle while crossing El Toro.

The driver who struck her remained on scene and cooperated with investigators, police said.

Investigators do not suspect drugs or alcohol factored into the deadly collision with the pedestrian.

City News Service contributed to this report.