Man crushed by semi-truck in Van Nuys grocery store parking lot

Man killed by big rig in Van Nuys parking lot

A man is dead after he was hit by a semi-truck in Van Nuys.

LOS ANGELES - A man was crushed by a semi-truck in a grocery store parking lot in Van Nuys on Thursday.

The pedestrian, a 55-year-old male, was pronounced dead on the scene, according to the LAFD.

Around 2 p.m. Thursday, police say a semi-truck was navigating through a parking lot when the driver struck a pedestrian.

The semi-truck had "JONS Fresh Marketplace" labeled across the vehicle.

The incident occurred near the 6600 block of Van Nuys Blvd.

"No crime involved. The driver stayed. No DUI involved or anything like that," said Sgt. Frank Bancalari of the LAPD Valley Traffic Division.

Police say the fatal collision appears to be an accident.

"It looks like the semi-truck was trying to navigate through this parking lot, attempted a really tight turn," said Sgt. Bancalari. "Unfortunately, there was a pedestrian who was laying down or sleeping on the ground where the semi-truck was making that movement."

Several people who live and work nearby claim the man was homeless. LAPD said as of Thursday evening it could not determine whether the man was unhoused or not.

Many in the community showed up at the scene to show their support for the man who lost his life in an instant.

Those who work near the grocery store called this a "very sad" day and expressed their condolences to the man’s family.