Los Angeles rapper Yngx 17 was identified as the man killed in a strange road rage incident last week. The 28-year-old performer, whose real name is Taariq Grant, was run over under a trailer after an altercation with a driver in North Hollywood, Los Angeles authorities said. Grant published his final Instagram post just two days before his death.
On Feb. 28, a “brief verbal altercation” broke out between a pedestrian and a driver hauling a trailer at Riverside Drive and Camarillo Street around 3:40 p.m., Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson Lizeth Lomeli told the Los Angeles Times. The pedestrian climbed atop the trailer, which then crashed into a concrete divider. The man then fell and was trapped under the wheels as the truck began to move.
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“While stopped in traffic, the driver of the trailer became involved in a verbal argument with a pedestrian,” police said in a statement. “The pedestrian climbed on top of the left-wheel-well of the trailer. When the truck began to move, the trailer collided with a concrete barrier, causing the pedestrian to fall to the ground. The left-side wheels of the trailer then collided with the pedestrian.”
The pedestrian was later identified as Grant. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene. A family member told the Times that Grant was a rapper who performed under the name Yngx 17. He published his final Instagram post, a video of himself sitting in his car, on Feb. 26. His SoundCloud profile includes a track posted just 12 days ago.
Grant’s Instagram page has since become a place for his friends and fans to share their condolences. “West LA lost a real one, RIP 17,” one fan wrote. “Love you bro you know this. REST IN PARADISE LONG LIVE YNGX17,” another commented. “Rest In Peace, my friend. I’m so sorry this happened to you,” another wrote. “Forever in our hearts.”
Police are still investigating Grant’s death. No arrests have been made yet. “Motorists are reminded to remain patient while driving on the roadway and pedestrians are reminded not to ride on portions of a vehicle that are not designated or intended for the use of passengers,” the LAPD’s statement reads. ย
