The crash that recently killed a Los Angeles County motorcycle deputy is just one of a string of violent collisions that have sent several law enforcement officers to the hospital this past week.
Thomas Albanese, a 41-year-old L.A. County sheriff’s deputy, was killed in the line of duty Thursday morning in Lakewood as he was pursuing a suspect by motorcycle when a car slammed into him, killing the officer instantly. He leaves a wife and two young boys.
The fatal crash that killed Albanese happened just hours after an SUV in South L.A. plowed into a Los Angeles Police Department officer who had been on scene assisting colleagues in a suspected vehicle case.
The LAPD officer is listed in stable condition but the incident highlighted the increased risks officers face each day in the field.
Just two nights ago, another LAPD officer was struck by a vehicle in South L.A. while conducting traffic control.
Paramedics rushed the officer to the hospital for treatment. The officer was last listed in serious condition.
Then, on Saturday night, a community service officer and volunteer with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department were hospitalized with majors injuries after an Amazon delivery van struck their parked patrol vehicle as the officers were investigating an earlier crash. The sheriff’s personnel are expected to fully recover, but two civilians were killed at the scene.
Two LAPD patrol officers were also struck by a vehicle while parked in Toluca Lake. Both officers received non-life threatening injuries.
Carlos Saucedo reports for the KTLA 5 News on Feb. 28, 2021.
