Local News in Brief : Truck Accident Victim Was Berkeley Man, 33
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Los Angeles police Saturday identified a man who was crushed to death Thursday under the wheels of a semi-tractor trailer truck in Encino.
The victim, Duane Champagne, a 33-year-old Berkeley resident, was killed instantly when he fell beneath the wheels of the truck after apparently jumping onto the vehicle while it was stopped at a light at Balboa and Burbank boulevards about 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Officer L. C. Robinson said.
Champagne fell under the wheels as the truck pulled away. He died of head injuries, Robinson said.
Witnesses said Champagne, attempting to hitch a ride, had climbed onto the back of a van but had jumped off when its driver pulled to the side of the road, Robinson said.
Police Saturday were continuing to search for the truck’s driver, who apparently was unaware of the incident.
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