Four Hospitalized in South Los Angeles Police Crash

LOS ANGELES, CA – Four people, including a Los Angeles police officer, were hospitalized after a three-vehicle crash Friday morning in South Los Angeles. The collision at Vernon Avenue involved a Police Department patrol SUV, a red SUV and a black sedan, authorities said. 

The Los Angeles Fire Department received the crash report at about 10:54 a.m. near Vernon Avenue and Avalon Boulevard. Firefighters and paramedics responded to the intersection, where the three damaged vehicles remained after the impact. 

Security-camera footage captured the three-vehicle collision as it developed. The video showed the patrol SUV entering the intersection while other vehicles had stopped at the traffic lights. A red SUV entered at the same time and struck the side of the police vehicle. 

The force of that impact sent the patrol SUV into a black sedan that was stopped across the intersection. Aerial images taken during the emergency response showed a shattered windshield on the police vehicle. Both civilian vehicles had substantial front-end damage. 

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident, we’d like to speak with you. Our accident attorneys are available for a free and confidential consultation, 24/7.

Four Hospitalized in South Los Angeles Police Crash 

Fire Department personnel transported four people from the scene. Officials did not release their names or describe each patient’s injuries, but police said all four were expected to recover. 

The officer was the only person inside the patrol SUV. Police identified him as a supervisor assigned to the Community Safety Partnership Bureau and said he was expected to be OK. Authorities did not provide a separate condition for each civilian who went to the hospital. 

The supervisor and other officers had been responding to an urgent request for backup when the crash occurred. Police said the units were using emergency lights and sirens as they traveled toward an officer who was being attacked by a suspect. 

The officer who requested assistance used a Taser to subdue that suspect before the responding units arrived. The Police Department did not release further details about the separate confrontation, and the traffic investigation remained focused on the collision at Vernon and Avalon. 

Intersection Closed for Accident Investigation 

Several surrounding streets were closed while emergency crews treated the injured people and investigators documented the scene. The closures also kept traffic away from the three vehicles until the initial response was complete. 

Police had not announced a citation or assigned responsibility for the crash by Friday evening. The available footage showed how the first impact occurred, but the department had not issued a final account of the traffic signals or the actions of each driver immediately before the vehicles entered the intersection. 

The latest public update said the officer and civilians were expected to recover. No later medical information or final cause had been released as the Police Department continued its investigation.