Off-duty LAPD officer killed in New Year's morning crash in Simi Valley Jan 1 16
An off-duty Los Angeles police officer was killed overnight when two cars, including one being used as an Uber, crashed in Simi Valley, authorities said.
Officer Heather Monroe was a passenger in the car that collided with the Uber at the intersection of Cochran Street and Sycamore Drive shortly after 2:10 a.m. Sunday, said Cmdr. Robert Brill of the Simi Valley Police Department.
Both drivers and a passenger in the Uber were treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a hospital, Simi Valley police said in a statement. Monroe, they added, appeared to be wearing her seat belt when the cars crashed.
Investigators were still trying to pinpoint what caused the crash, but authorities said that it appeared one of the vehicles didn’t stop at a red light at the intersection. It was not clear which car failed to stop.
Police are also looking into whether drugs or alcohol were a factor. Investigators spent 11 hours at the scene Sunday, photographing the wreckage and examining the debris strewn across the intersection.
Monroe, who lived in Simi Valley, joined the LAPD in 2009, according to department records. The 30-year-old officer was assigned to the Devonshire division, which covers part of the San Fernando Valley.
An LAPD spokesman called Monroe’s death a “tragic start” to the new year.
”Losing an officer is devastating, but the pain is intensified for the men and women of the department when it happens during what is supposed to be the happiest time of the year,” the spokesman, Josh Rubenstein, said in a statement.
Representatives from Uber, a popular ride-hailing service, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On New Year’s Eve and other holidays, Uber and similar services are frequently touted as a way for revelers to avoid driving after drinking. The passenger in the Uber involved in Sunday’s crash did just that, Simi Valley police said, calling for an Uber after “consuming alcohol during a New Year’s Eve celebration.”
Police asked anyone who may have witnessed Sunday’s crash to call Simi Valley investigators.
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