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Police officers search a car involved in a fatal street racing accident in Los Angeles. (Photo: Los Angeles Times)

Car accident fatality: Police arrested a 19-year-old unlicensed driver after he ran a red light during an illegal street race, slammed into another car, and fled the scene Friday in Los Angeles. The woman driving the other car was killed in the accident.

•   Two cars that were racing on I-5 exited the freeway in Boyle Heights and ran a red light at freeway speed.

•   One of the cars hit a vehicle that was in the intersection, killing the driver.

•   The street racers fled the scene. Police found them and arrested the driver, who was unlicensed and had an outstanding warrant. He was charged with murder in connection with the fatal accident.

The deadly hit-and-run crash occurred shortly after 3 a.m., according to an ABC News report.

Police said 19-year-old Roberto Moreno was driving a car on Interstate 5 when one of his passengers allegedly pointed a gun at a passing car on the freeway. The driver of the other car sped up and Moreno chased after him. The vehicles then began to race, police said.

Both vehicles exited the freeway at Fourth Street in Boyle Heights. They were still traveling at high speed when they ran the red light at Boyle Avenue, where Moreno’s vehicle slammed into another car that was in the intersection.

Moreno and three passengers got out of the car and fled the scene before their vehicle burst into flames.

The driver of the car that Moreno hit — 32-year-old Erika Flores — was trapped in her vehicle. Emergency crews had to extricate her from the car. She died at the scene. Police say she had nothing to do with the street race.

California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to the collision. LAPD officers told the Los Angeles Times that Moreno was not licensed to drive and had a warrant out for his arrest.

“We know he had a warrant, though it’s not clear for what,” LAPD officer Melissa Lisenby told the Times.

Other law enforcement officials said Moreno had two previous citations that had turned into warrants. There was no record that his vehicle had been impounded as a result of those citations.

Police found Moreno, arrested him, and charged him with murder because he fled the scene and failed to render aid after the collision, according to the ABC News report.

Police said they searched Moreno’s car but could not find the weapon. They interviewed and released two of the passengers who were in Moreno’s car at the time of the fatal crash, but the third passenger was still at large.

Los Angeles Wrongful Death Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented the families of wrongful death victims for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.