A 32-year-old woman was struck and killed by a Los Angeles Police Department patrol car late Saturday night in Valley Glen. The collision occurred at approximately 11:30 p.m. near the intersection of Woodman Avenue and Bessemer Street as an LAPD patrol car was responding to an emergency call. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene by responding Los Angeles firefighters.
LAPD Patrol Car Strikes Civilian Vehicle During Emergency Response
The patrol car, assigned to the LAPD’s North Hollywood Division, was traveling to provide backup at a Halloween house party located several miles away on Weddington Street in Sherman Oaks. According to ABC7, police had received reports of shots fired and encountered a crowd of approximately 300 people at that location. The officer was operating with emergency lights and sirens activated at the time of the impact.
While the investigation into the specific circumstances of the crash is ongoing, authorities have provided preliminary details regarding the scene. An LAPD spokesperson stated that the woman was outside of a marked crosswalk when she was struck. Witnesses in the area described a chaotic scene following the impact. One resident reported seeing the patrol car positioned sideways in the middle of the street shortly after the collision occurred, as reported by ABC7.
Ongoing Investigation into the Fatal Incident
The LAPD’s Multidisciplinary Collision Investigation Team has taken the lead on the case. As of Sunday, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner has not yet released the identity of the victim, pending notification of her next of kin.
“I see one cop car in the middle of the street, sideways, then I see a cop a couple feet from the curb looking into the street. And I look into the street and you could see the body in the middle of the street on the floor,” a local resident told ABC7.
The Broader Context of Police Vehicle Safety
While the party in Sherman Oaks was eventually dispersed without reported injuries, the collision in Valley Glen has focused attention on the risks associated with emergency transit.
The LAPD has not yet released the name of the officer involved, nor have they provided a timeline for when the findings of the Multidisciplinary Collision Investigation Team will be made public. The intersection of Woodman Avenue and Bessemer Street is the site of a fatal collision involving a police vehicle that highlights the risks of emergency operations in populated areas.
