Police Trying to ID Passenger Involved in Fatal Crash

Police are trying to identify an individual who was involved in the that occurred Saturday morning on Wilshire Blvd., spokesman Sgt. Jay Trisler has told Santa Monica Patch.

The individual was a passenger in the vehicle—an orange Camaro, according to Trisler—that was located farther away from the scene of the accident. Trisler said the driver of the Camaro is a male and "has been cooperative with the investigation," which is still ongoing.

The crash occurred Saturday morning around 3:15 a.m. following a drag race on Wilshire. The car driven by Anupam Sanyal, a 23-year-old resident of Santa Monica, struck the Camaro, at which point Sanyal lost control of his car, a Honda Accord. The Accord hit a palm tree in front of Poquito Más, a few hundred feet east of the intersection of Wilshire Blvd. and 20th St., on the north side of the street. Sanyal was pronounced dead at the scene.

Joyce Kato, an investigator for Los Angeles Coroner's Office, has told Santa Monica Patch that autopsy results are due back in roughly a month.

Police found the Camaro abandoned farther away from the scene of the crash. The driver of the vehicle allegedly fled following the incident, according to City News Service. The Camaro was reportedly impounded.

Later, police said they had an individual involved in the crash; the person was the driver of the Camaro.

No arrests have been made. Potential charges against the driver of the car would be decided by prosecutors, who will handle the case after traffic detectives finish investigating the incident.

Police are asking the public for information regarding the incident, as the investigation is still ongoing. The SMPD is asking those who have information to contact Det. Chris Dawson at 310.458.8954, Sgt. Jeff Wiles or 310.458.8895; those who wish to remain anonymous can also call 1-800-78-CRIME or use WeTip.com to submit the information. A reward of up to $1,000 may be offered, if the information leads to an arrest and conviction.