BEVERLY HILLS—A truck driver was killed on Friday, January 15, after his runaway vehicle collided with a parked car shortly after 8 a.m., according to the Beverly Hills Police Department on the 800 block of Loma Vista Drive. According to reports the vehicle also collided with a tree before hitting a wall.
The victim was trapped inside his vehicle after the collision before being rescued by officials and transported to Cedars Sinai Hospital where he later succumbed to injuries sustained.
The name and age of the victim has not yet been disclosed to the public by authorities. There were no reports of any other injuries during the incident.
The incident is the scene where 2 other people were killed in the past 2 years. On March 7, 2014, LAPD Officer Nicholas Lee was killed after a truck traveling southbound in the region collided with his Hollywood Division LAPD patrol car.
LAPD Assistant Chief Earl C. Paysinger tweeted that he had recently visited Lee’s surviving partner, saying that “she’s coming along slowly but well.” She was released from the hospital on March 8, 2014.
Chief of Police Charlie Beck said in a televised statement on the day of the crash that a preliminary investigation showed that the truck’s brakes may have failed. “Nick was a great cop,” said Chief Beck. “His hard work, dedication, and leadership helped mold young police officers into law enforcement professionals.”
According to the LAPD, Officer Lee was a 16 year veteran of the force, having served in Van Nuys, Wilshire and in the Hollywood Division, where he worked just prior to his death. In his time as a police officer, he received over 70 commendations for his service.
Tyler Izen, President of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, said in a statement, “The officer’s death is a tragic loss that reminds us of the risks that law enforcement officers take every day to keep our community safe.” A Blue Ribbon Trust account was opened at the Los Angeles Police Federal Credit Union for Lee’s family.
“The City of Beverly Hills is committed to providing ongoing assistance towards the investigation. We share our heartfelt sympathy with everyone involved during this incredibly difficult time,” stated Mayor John Mirisch back in 2014.
Just two months later, on May 9, 2014 at around 1:53 p.m., Ernest L. Allen Sr., an off-duty detective for the LAPD was killed when a cement truck collided with his private vehicle on Loma Vista Drive. Los Angeles Fire Department personnel pronounced the officer dead at the scene, while the truck driver was taken to a local hospital in serious condition. Allen was a 27-year veteran of the force who, according to the LAPD, served in Wilshire, the Rampart area and the 77th Street Area. He is survived by his fiancé, his sister, two children and two grandchildren.
Due to that tragedy, the city of Beverly Hills suspended all heavy vehicle delivery on Loma Vista Drive for 30 days or until proper safety measures are put into place in 2014. That incident prompted the BHPD to suspend heavy haul traffic with signage to indicate such, and an increased enforcement of traffic and commercial vehicles, and placed officers at the north and south end of Loma Vista Drive to further prevent commercial traffic from driving through the street.
“We are devastated by the accident and mourn with the family of the detective who died,” said Beverly Hills Mayor Lili Bosse at the time of Allen’s death.
On May 2, 2014 a construction accident involving a cement truck caused the city of Beverly Hills to develop stringent regulation to control truck traffic on high-risk streets through the construction permit process. Lt. Hoshino indicated to Canyon News at the time that the driver of the cement truck was transported to a local hospital where he was listed in serious condition by the Beverly Hills Fire Department.
The city commissioned a study on May 7, 2014 from the transportation engineering firm Fehr & Peers, who announced several safety recommendations regarding the Trousdale area.
