Los Angeles police say a car that was illegally street racing struck and killed two pedestrians and critically injured another in a residential area before its driver ran away.

Capt. John McMahon says all three victims were stuck early Thursday by a gray Mustang, which then crashed into a utility pole in the suburban Chatsworth area of the San Fernando Valley.

Police say the crash sent one victim flying through the air and into a nearby parking lot. KABC-TV reports the injured victim is in critical but stable condition.

Authorities are searching for the driver of the abandoned Mustang and the person behind the wheel of another car that sped off. McMahon says they were street racing.

The pavement at the scene was covered in tire skid marks.