A man who was struck and killed by a Maserati driver while walking his service dog was also a Holocaust survivor and a Ukrainian refugee, said his family in a GoFundMe page cited by multiple media outlets.
KNX previously reported on the fatal incident in Sherman Oaks. It occurred Tuesday night at around 11:35 p.m., when a 2009 gray Maserati model Quatport color in gray reportedly struck Andiry Korshunov, 80.
Police later found the empty Maserati with retired registration and no plate, according to the Los Angele Police Department. Korshunov was transported to a local hospital by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics in grave condition and he died as a result of his injuries.
“My father was 80 years old, a Holocaust survivor whose life began in evacuation shortly before the victory over Nazism,” said the page organized by Ilana Ceitlin for Korshunov’s funeral services, including sending his remains back to Ukraine. “When his family returned home to Ukraine, they had no place to live and often nothing to eat. He endured severe hunger in the difficult postwar years – and he survived.”
People Magazine and KTLA have reported on the fundraiser.
It added that he was displaced again when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. Korshunov’s family said he lived in Kharkiv, just 30 miles from the Russian border.
“Tragically, just shortly before his 81st birthday, my father was killed while walking his service dog, who was also killed in the accident,” the GoFundMe said. “They were inseparable. His dog was not only his constant companion, but also a source of comfort, protection, and emotional safety in his later years.”
According to a Facebook post from GoFundMe, Korshunov’s daughter had recently moved in with him to help care for him. It said she is now facing “overwhelming grief and unexpected financial hardship.” As of Friday, nearly $5,000 had been raised through the online fundraiser towards a $16,000 goal.
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