SANTA MONICA—A fatal collision occurred on the Pacific Coast Highway on Friday night, August 19, according to a press release from the Santa Monica Police Department. The SMPD is seeking the public’s assistance and any witnesses that can lend more information on the traffic collision.
Around 11:38 p.m. Friday, SMPD officers responded to multiple calls of a traffic collision on the 1500 block of the Pacific Coast Highway. The responding officers who arrived at the scene found a motorcycle with two riders that had collided with a vehicle. Both of the motorcycle riders had been ejected onto the Pacific Coast Highway during the collision and were found in critical condition. The driver of the vehicle was not injured.
The Santa Monica Fire Department Paramedics responded to the collision and treated both motorcycle riders at the scene. James Altman, Training Captain/Public Information Officer for the SFPD, told Canyon News that when the SFPD arrived they witnessed a motorcycle down and officers from the SMPD performing CPR on a female in her mid-40s. A male in his mid-40s was also in critical condition, Altman indicated to Canyon News, and the two victims met the trauma criteria that allowed the SFPD to transport them to the UCLA medical center.
The motorcycle passenger, a female in her mid-40s, later succumbed to her injuries. At the time of the press release the motorcycle driver was still in critical condition. Lieutenant Saul Rodriguez of the SMPD updated Canyon News by saying in an email, “The motorcyclist is still hospitalized but has been stabilized.”
The SMPD Major Accident Response Team responded and conducted a preliminary investigation. This investigation revealed that both the motorcycle and vehicle were traveling northbound on the Pacific Coast Highway. The motorcycle swerved into the vehicle and the resulting collision caused the highway to be shut down for hours. The California Highway Patrol and Cal Trans assisted with the Pacific Coast Highway closure.
Rodriguez told Canyon News that the identities of the motorcycle riders and the vehicle driver have not been released. The identity of the deceased motorcycle rider will be released by the L.A. County Coroner’s Office. Rodriguez also indicated that the SMPD has not received any new information or witnesses since the collision.
The investigation is still ongoing and the SMPD is seeking anyone who had been in the area during the time of the collision. Anyone with information can contact Investigator Jason Olison at (310) 458-8954, Sergeant Joseph Cortez at (310) 458-8713, or the Santa Monica Police Department at (310) 458-8495.
