A woman is dead after being struck by a hit-and-run driver on the 5 Freeway transition road in Los Angeles, California

A female pedestrian is dead after an early morning hit-and-run accident on the 5 Freeway east of downtown Los Angeles, California Monday morning. The woman was hit in the northbound 5 Freeway transition road connecting to the freeway. It is still unclear why the woman was walking on the freeway in the Boyle Heights area. Lanes on the transition road were closed until approximately 7 AM as investigators worked the scene. The call came into the California Highway Patrol at around 4 AM that a big rig was stopped on the shoulder of the road. Responders discovered the woman's body on the freeway near Soto Street, but it was unclear whether she was struck by the big rig or a different vehicle. The road closure caused significant backup from the freeway transition south to Norwalk. We will have more information on this tragic story as new details emerge.