Hit-and-run leaves pedestrian dead in Northeast DC

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Police are investigating a deadly hit-and-run of a pedestrian Tuesday morning on Sargent Road in Northeast D.C.

The scene was an upsetting one as some residents saw the victim trapped under a car.

"The guy was lying underneath this car and the paramedics and everybody was trying to get the car off of him," said one witness. "Once they got it off, they pulled him out and he had his eyes open, he was bleeding and he was dead."

Police said 62-year-old John O. Lindberg of Northeast D.C. was crossing Sargent Road at Faraday Place at around 6:30 a.m. when he was hit.

D.C. Police Lt. Ron Wilkins said witnesses told them a black two-door truck traveling north on Sargent Road struck the pedestrian and fled the scene.

"A second vehicle who was coming on the southbound direction actually hit the pedestrian a second time once he was on the ground," said Lt. Wilkins. "The second driver remained on the scene. No criminal charges are being sought against him."

Neighbors said this is the third person hit and killed here in recent years. They said drivers are constantly speeding through despite a speed bump and four-way stop.

"We're just concerned because what does it take beside speed bumps?" said another resident. "It's tragic."

Lorraine Tyler knows very well about the heartache of this street. Her grandson, Jalen, was struck and killed on the same stretch of road seven years ago. He was six years old and was on his way to the bus stop.

"The kids come running back, said Jalen has been hit by a car," she told us. "By the time we got to the corner, they were moving his body."

Tyler said the street is simply not safe and she worries constantly for the elderly and children living in the area.

"It's just sad and it's frightening because you don't know who is going to be the next one," said Tyler. "And something needs to be done about it."

Neighbors said they are now pushing for a traffic light here and a crossing guard at the bus stop.

Police are looking for a hit-and-run driver who fled in a two-door black pickup truck with tinted windows and D.C. plates that might have front end damage and broken glass.