A man who was pushing a disabled vehicle was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver Wednesday on a Long Beach street, and police later arrested the suspected driver.
The crash occurred at about 3:45 a.m. on Artesia Boulevard at Butler Avenue near the Long Beach (710) Freeway overpass, according to Brandon Fahey, a spokesman with the Long Beach Police Department.
Police identified the victim as Darnell Bluitt, 54, of Compton.
A preliminary investigation revealed that two men were pushing a disabled 1993 Acura sedan westbound on Artesia Boulevard with the help of a 43-year-old Compton woman who was steering the vehicle, police said.
A 2010 GMC truck struck them from behind, fatally injuring one of the men and injuring the woman who was steering. The driver of the GMC fled in the vehicle to a nearby neighborhood.
Officers located the truck and arrested a suspect, identified as 57-year-old Patrick Mount of Long Beach, police said. He was booked for suspicion of DUI, hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter with bail set at $100,000.
The injured woman was taken to a hospital for treatment of her injuries and she had stable vital signs, police said.