Truck hits loose manhole cover, killing 20-year-old man below, California cops say

Investigators are seeking the driver of a white pickup truck involved in a bizarre and tragic accident Saturday in Southern California, police say.

A video released by the Los Angeles Police Department shows the truck drive over a loose manhole cover, which flips up in the air, in the 10:25 a.m. incident in Panorama City.

A 20-year-old man, described by police as a pedestrian, had been trying to lift the manhole cover from below at the time, police said in a release.

He was hit by the manhole cover and fell back down the manhole, killing him, police said. His identity has not been released and police did not reveal what he was doing in the manhole.

“Manhole covers should not be disturbed or moved due to their weight and could cause serious injury or death,” police warned.

The pickup truck, described as a white 2008-to-2012 Chevrolet Silverado, continued to drive away after running over the manhole cover, the video shows.

Police are trying to identify the driver, and the release includes information on a reward established in 2015 for information on hit-and-run crashes.

Detectives ask that anyone with information about the truck or the collision contact the valley traffic division at 818-644-8116.

This story was originally published July 12, 2021 at 1:29 PM with the headline "Truck hits loose manhole cover, killing 20-year-old man below, California cops say."