A Woodland Hills man was sentenced Friday to two years in state prison for running a red light in Long Beach, striking a 78-year-old woman and fleeing the scene, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced.
The victim, Nikki Rash, died Jan. 4, 2025, from injuries she sustained in the crash.
Prosecutors said that on Dec. 26, 2024, at about 4:45 p.m., Mario Jesus Escobar Acosta ran a red light at California Avenue and San Antonio Drive and struck Rash’s vehicle. He did not remain at the scene.
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“I extend my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Nikki Rash,” Hochman said in a statement. “Running a red light is extremely dangerous and leaving the scene of a crash is unconscionable. Even when injuries are not immediately apparent, drivers have a legal and moral obligation to remain at the scene and ensure others are safe.”
Rash had initially declined medical treatment at the scene, but checked herself into the hospital a few hours later, complaining about a severe headache and neck pain. Her son said she had no recollection of the crash due to a critical head injury.
Following brain surgery, Rash remained in a coma and was put on life support at Long Beach Memorial. “We let her go peacefully,” her son said.
Acosta pleaded no contest to one felony count of hit-and-run resulting in death. He was sentenced in the Long Beach Courthouse.
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