2 pedestrians killed in Anaheim crash identified

Officials identified two men Sunday, Aug. 23, who were fatally struck by a BMW while crossing a street in Anaheim nine days earlier.

Girmay Girmay, 70, of Anaheim and Solomon Kedebe, 61, of Los Alamitos, on Friday, Aug. 14 were standing on a center divider along Lincoln Avenue near Aladdin Drive just before the crash, Anaheim Police Sgt. Steve Pena said. They waited for at least one vehicle to pass before trying to cross the street, but were hit by a silver BMW at about 9 p.m.

“It looks like the pedestrians didn’t see the driver, and the driver didn’t see the pedestrians because the other car was in the way,” Pena said.

Both men died before they could be taken to a hospital, Orange County Coroner’s officials said. Relatives and friends of the victims from the surrounding neighborhood gathered near the site of the crash as police conducted an investigation.

Residential parking is limited nearby, and many people who live in the area wind up crossing Lincoln to get to their homes, Pena said. He said jaywalking is not uncommon on that street.

The driver of the BMW coupe waited for police to arrive, Pena  said. Drugs or alcohol did not appear to have been factors in the crash, Anaheim Police Sgt. Shane Carringer said.