LAPD Harbor City crash: 1 officer killed, 1 critical but stable

HARBOR CITY, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- One LAPD officer has died and a second officer is in critical but stable condition after a hit-and-run crash in Harbor City.

In a news conference, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck identified the deceased officer as Roberto Sanchez. Sanchez was driving the police cruiser. He was taken to Harbor UCLA Medical Center in critical condition following the crash.

Sanchez served with the Harbor Division for about six years. He is survived by his wife.

The officer riding in the passenger seat of the cruiser has not been identified. Beck said he suffered serious injuries, including a broken jaw. Beck said the officer was not only Sanchez's partner, but his best friend

The accident happened at 3:45 a.m. near Anaheim Street and President Avenue. Police said the officers were following a speeding driver. As the officers made a U-turn, they were T-boned by a Chevrolet Tahoe. Police said the SUV may have been travelling eastbound in the westbound lanes of Anaheim Street.

The officers were on a routine patrol at the time of the crash. The damage was so severe that firefighters had to extricate the officers from the wreckage. The center console where the police radio is located was so badly damaged that the officer in the passenger seat had to use his cellphone to call for help.

The driver of the SUV was arrested after fleeing the scene.

"We were able to locate him nearby and take him into custody," said LAPD Lt. John Pasquariello. "He is currently at a local hospital as well. There is a possibility that drugs or alcohol were a factor, but we haven't determined that as of yet."

An investigation into the crash is ongoing.

This is the third deadly accident involving the LAPD in recent weeks. Officer Nick Lee was killed on-duty when a truck slammed into his cruiser in Beverly Hills. A few weeks later, Officer Chris Cortijo was killed on-duty when he was rear-ended by an alleged drunk driver as he sat on his motorcycle at a stop light in Sun Valley.

Beck said LAPD Officer George Nagata also died Friday night of a heart condition. He was a 35-year veteran of the force.