A pedestrian has died and six others were injured during a traffic accident involving a Los Angeles Police Department patrol vehicle in Hollywood on Monday, authorities confirmed to KTLA.
Police and firefighters with the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to reports of the multi-patient collision at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Gower Street just before 5 p.m.
In a post to X, formerly Twitter, police said that a vehicle traveling westbound on Santa Monica Boulevard struck the patrol vehicle while it was in the crosswalk at the intersection.
The chain reaction led to the police cruiser spinning and striking a pedestrian who got pinned under the vehicle.
Footage of the scene posted to the Citizen App showed a white, four-door sedan with damage to its hood butted up against the rear of a police cruiser that appeared to have deployed its airbags as a result of the crash.
Paramedics could be seen on the passenger side of the police car attending to one of the victims. That person was moved on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance and rushed to the hospital in critical condition. They later succumbed to their injuries.
Two other vehicles were also hit in the crash, police said.
“We can say that there was not a pursuit, but what other activity they were involved in still has not been determined at this time,” LAPD Cpt. Kelly Muniz said at the scene.
It’s unclear who was at fault, but one witness, who did not want give their name, told KTLA’s Carlos Saucedo that police were honking to clear the intersection right before the collision.
“All the cars just stopped,” said the man, whose car, a white Mercedes, was damaged during the crash. “It happened really fast. The crash and police spin one time and hit me. When I opened the door, he was under the police car.”
Fire officials said that the other six patients sustained only minor injuries.
The intersection was closed for several hours as traffic investigators combed through evidence at the scene.
“In law enforcement, you’re here to help people, that’s what we do,” Muniz said. “So, even inadvertently, if we’re involved in something like that, it’s always tragic for everybody involved. That’s never the intent each day you go out.”