The family a man who was fatally struck by a Los Angeles Police Department patrol vehicle while he was crossing a street in the South Los Angeles area announced Wednesday the filing of a damages claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, against the city.
Luis Espinoza, 25, was struck around 5 p.m. Dec. 8 while crossing Century Boulevard at McKinley Avenue, according to the family’s attorneys and the LAPD.
Attorney Michael Carrillo told reporters Wednesday the officer who struck Espinoza had the patrol vehicle’s emergency lights activated — even though she was not responding to a call — and was speeding through a 35 mph zone “like a rocket ship” when Espinoza was hit.
Carrillo showed surveillance video of the patrol vehicle and the impact.
“She goes speeding by … and when she reaches McKinley, this is where our client is walking,” he said. “… And that’s when — boom — she makes contact and he goes flying immediately.”
The attorneys allege the officer came to a stop after striking Espinoza, but sat in the patrol vehicle for more than a minute before attempting to render any aid to the man.
Shortly after the pedestrian was struck, the LAPD issued a statement saying, “A Los Angeles Police Department officer assigned to the Community Safety Partnership Bureau was driving a marked police vehicle eastbound on Century Boulevard with the vehicle’s emergency equipment activated. As the officer approached the green phased tri-light signal on McKinley Avenue, a pedestrian was crossing southbound Century Boulevard outside of the marked crosswalk, (and) the officer’s vehicle collided with the pedestrian.”
Espinoza, who would have turned 26 the following day, died at a hospital.
LAPD officials said the agency’s Multi-Disciplinary Collision Investigation Team responded to the scene to conduct an investigation.
“While we are in the very preliminary stages of the investigation, I have very serious concerns regarding the officer’s driving leading up to the collision,” LAPD Chief Michel Moore said in a statement at the time. “An Internal Affairs investigation has been initiated, and additional information will be provided as it becomes available.”