Marisa Franco Dies in El Mirage Car Accident near Avenue J and 255th Street East

Woman Killed in Hit-and-Run Crash near El Mirage Identified

El Mirage, California: The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner identified the woman who died in a hit-and-run collision that happened late Sunday night near El Mirage as Marisa Franco, 35, of Los Angeles.

The collision was reported around 10:30 p.m. on a dirt road near Avenue J and 255th Street East.

Franco was a passenger in a 1997 Toyota Corolla driven south by a 33-year-old Los Angeles man.

Authorities said a 2016 Hyundai Tucson SUV traveling east on another dirt road collided with the Toyota under unclear circumstances.

The driver of the SUV fled the scene after the crash.

Responding paramedics pronounced Franco dead at the scene. Authorities said she was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.

The Los Angeles man was hospitalized with minor injuries. He was wearing his seatbelt during the collision.

Investigators said the ignition of the SUV appeared to have been tampered with, raising suspicion that the car had been recently stolen, but not yet reported to police.

The suspect hit-and-run driver remained at large.