OS ANGELES, Sept. 10 — The driver of a tow truck that accidentally struck and killed a 4-year-old boy on Saturday was then severely beaten by a crowd of more than 20 people angered by the boy's death, the police said today.
The driver, Candelario Flores, 38, received severe head injuries and needed reconstructive eye surgery after the beating late Saturday afternoon, said Sgt. John Pasquariello, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department.
Mr. Flores was listed in stable condition today. His injuries were not considered life-threatening, the authorities said.
Sergeant Pasquariello said the police would not charge Mr. Flores in the death of the boy, Fred Allen, because there was no evidence of criminal negligence.
But the police did say they were looking for at least two people who apparently pulled a crowbar or some other metal object from Mr. Flores's truck and beat him with it after the accident.
The attack on Mr. Flores revived memories of the beating of another truck driver by an angry Los Angeles crowd: the attack on Reginald Denny in the 1992 rioting following the acquittal of police officers tried in the videotaped beating of Rodney G. King.
The beating of Mr. Denny occurred a short drive from Saturday's incident. But Sergeant Pasquariello cautioned against drawing parallels between the incidents.
The death of the boy, who was black, was a "horrible accident," he said, and the beating of Mr. Flores, who is Hispanic, was not a hate crime.
"There's no evidence" of racial bias, Sergeant Pasquariello said. "Regardless of whether he was white, black, Latino or Asian, the crowd wanted some sort of revenge. It was somewhat of a mob vigilante mentality."
The police said Mr. Flores was pulling into the parking lot of a Taco Bell shortly before 4 p.m. when he struck the boy, who was riding on a scooter.
Another car had apparently obstructed Mr. Flores's view, the police said, and there was no evidence that drugs or alcohol played any role in the accident.
The boy died instantly of massive head injuries, the police said. Mr. Flores stepped out of his truck, where he was confronted by more than 20 people. The crowd could tell that the boy was dead, the police said, and at least two people began attacking Mr. Flores.
A few onlookers soon tried to stop the beating, and two colleagues of Mr. Flores who were in the area joined them, said the police, who arrived minutes later.
Mr. Flores works for Kelmark Tow, a company that handles towing for the city and the Police Department. The company is a constant presence in poor neighborhood where the incident occurred.
Jon Nissley, the general manager for Kelmark Tow, declined to say how long Mr. Flores worked for the company. Mr. Nissley said that he visited Mr. Flores in the hospital and that while his condition had improved, Mr. Flores was still "very distraught."
"Everyone here is deeply saddened," Mr. Nissley said. "Our hearts go out to the family."