Shocking Hit-and-Run in Tarzana:
TARZANA, LOS ANGELES — Comedian Perry Kurtz was killed in a hit-and-run crash Thursday night in Tarzana, and an 18-year-old driver has been arrested.
The collision was reported at 11:20 p.m. According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Kurtz was crossing Ventura Boulevard near Corbin Avenue when he was struck by a driver in a grey Honda Civic.
Witnesses told police that the driver hit Kurtz and fled the scene, said an LAPD spokesman. The police later found the Civic with damage to its front end and a smashed windshield about half a mile from the crash site.
Nathon Jaimes, 18, was arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run causing death. He was released around 8:43 a.m. Friday on $30,000 bail, according to online jail records.
Kurtz was a well-known figure in the Los Angeles comedy scene. In recent years, he continued to perform throughout the San Fernando Valley, including at Corbin Bowl's open mic night each Thursday, which is produced by comedian Ryan Talmo.
Talmo said Kurtz was across the street singing karaoke Thursday night.
"He went across the street to the bowling alley to say hi to us. We do comedy across the street, and he came to say hi to his friends. He was hanging out with us for about 15 minutes, then he went back across the street to sing some more karaoke... apparently, someone hit him on Ventura," said Talmo.
The news of Kurtz's death came as a shock to comedian Bruce Baum, who worked with the 73-year-old starting in the mid-80s.
"He was one of those guys that, regardless of how things were going, he was always very positive," said Baum. "He never gave up. He was always doing comedy or karaoke."
Talmo described Kurtz as "funny" and someone who "loved making people laugh."
"He loved being around people," Talmo recalled.
The LAPD's Valley Traffic Division is investigating the collision.
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