By Lookout Staff

August 1, 2024 -- A homeless pedestrian hit by a car on PCH in the early morning hours Tuesday is in stable condition, and the driver is in custody, police said Thursday.

Several news outlets reported the accident that took place shortly after 2:30 a.m. as a fatality, based on information provided by the California Highway Patrol (CHP).

"The individual was transported to the hospital and is stable after surgery," said Lt. Erika Aklufi, the Police Department spokesperson.

"The striking vehicle was a sedan," Aklufi said. "The driver initially fled, but returned to the city and turned himself in. He is in custody for felony hit and run."

The accident prompted the closure of the westbound 10 Freeway for nearly three hours and PCH at the California Incline as officials investigated.

Three homeless pedestrians have been killed in Santa Monica over the past seven months.

Last Christmas Eve, a homeless woman was struck by a car and died of her injuries two weeks later. She was crossing southbound on 4th Street at approximately 7:52 p.m., when she was struck by a 2017 Toyota Tundra traveling westbound.

On January 13, a woman in her fifties was killed by a car as she walked across Lincoln Boulevard.

On April 1, a pedestrian was struck and killed by a car at around 5:30 a.m. near the Pier entrance at the intersection of Ocean and Colorado avenues.

Crashes involving pedestrians that resulted in injuries have spiked in the city after a steep drop in 2020 due to the COVID shutdown, according to data from the City's Transportation Department.

The rise in collisions involving pedestrians -- as well as high profile crashes involving bicyclists -- have prompted the Council to act and police to boost traffic safety operations.