LOS ANGELES, CA – Two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were taken to hospitals after their patrol SUV collided with a Honda Fit and ended up on a fire hydrant in the Athens area late Monday night, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The crash was reported around 11:50 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12, near West 120th Street and Vermont Avenue, a department spokesperson said. The Honda Fit was traveling westbound when it collided with the deputies’ vehicle.
The spokesperson said neither deputy’s injury was considered life-threatening and that the deputies were expected to be discharged soon. The deputies were on routine patrol and were not responding to a call.
The California Highway Patrol is investigating the collision.
How the crash unfolded
According to initial reports, the deputies’ SUV was heading southbound on Vermont Avenue when it collided with the Honda, which was westbound on West 120th Street. Another account puts the time of the collision at about 11:53 p.m.
After the impact, the patrol SUV veered to the right and came to rest on a fire hydrant at the southwest corner of the intersection. Both vehicles sustained major damage, according to initial reports.
Sheriff’s and CHP personnel were still at the scene about 1:20 a.m. Tuesday.
Deputies taken to hospitals
The Sheriff’s Department said a female deputy who complained of head pain was taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance. A male deputy, who complained of body aches, also went to a local hospital.
The department described neither injury as life-threatening. The spokesperson said the deputies were expected to be released soon.
The department did not release the names of the deputies. They were on routine patrol at the time of the crash and were not answering a call, the spokesperson said.
Honda driver reports pain
The spokesperson said the driver of the Honda Fit complained of pain but declined transport to a hospital. Other accounts of the driver’s condition differ, with one saying the driver was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
The Sheriff’s Department did not release the driver’s name or age.
Hydrant sprays water until SUV is removed
With the SUV resting on top of the hydrant, water sprayed into the air and across the street. The Sheriff’s Department said the flow could not be stopped until the vehicle was removed from the hydrant.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said a 6-inch line was broken and that about 50 customers were affected.
The crash also caused a power outage in the immediate area. It was unclear whether power had been restored as of 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.
CHP investigates the collision
The CHP is the agency investigating the crash, according to information relayed Tuesday. As of early Tuesday, the agency had not released a cause.
No arrests or citations have been reported in connection with the collision. Nothing in the information available Tuesday indicates that either vehicle was responding to an emergency.
The area and county collision data
Athens is an unincorporated community in South Los Angeles. Century Sheriff’s Station lists Athens Park among its service areas, along with Florence/Firestone, Lynwood, Walnut Park and Willowbrook.
The California Office of Traffic Safety’s 2022 county ranking for Los Angeles County reports 58,147 victims killed and injured in fatal and injury collisions, placing the county fifth of 58 in California. The same page lists 12,094 speed-related fatal and injury collisions, ranking sixth, and 4,022 pedestrian victims, ranking 11th.
The page covers 2022 and the county as a whole. It does not address the Oct. 12 crash.
Cause remains under investigation
For now, officials have reported two injured deputies, a Honda driver who reported pain and a broken water line affecting about 50 customers. The CHP had not released the cause of the crash.
