‘I Heard Sirens at the Last Minute’: Crash Sends WeHo Deputies to Hospital

A West Hollywood Sheriff’s patrol vehicle and a black Nissan Altima collided Thursday afternoon at Sunset Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, sending two deputies to the hospital and leaving debris scattered across the intersection.

The Sheriff’s SUV, a Ford Explorer assigned to the West Hollywood station, sustained damage to its passenger-side front end. The Altima’s front end was destroyed, the airbag deployed, and plastic and metal debris spread across Sunset Blvd. well past the crosswalk. Yellow crime scene tape was up around the entire intersection with traffic being diverted onto to surrounding surface streets. 

Phillip Barrios, the Altima driver, told WEHOonline he was driving through on a green light when it happened. He said he heard sirens late, hit the brakes, and clipped the Sheriff’s vehicle before spinning out. “The light was green,” Barrios said. “I hear sirens, basically at the last minute. I just tried to slam the brakes on, and then I clipped the front of him, and spun out.” Barrios said he was uninjured.

Barrios told WEHOonline he was informed at the scene that the Sheriff’s vehicle had been in pursuit. “They said they were chasing somebody, they had something going on down the street,” he said. A deputy at the scene told WEHOonline otherwise. The Sheriff’s vehicle was not in pursuit, the deputy said. The deputies were responding to back up another deputy who was detaining a suspect in a stolen vehicle case, according to Sgt. Omar Luvano of the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station.

A second witness at the scene, who declined to give a name, told WEHOonline they were stopped at the red light and saw the collision happen. “I was just, like, shocked,” the witness said.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

LAPD Officer McDonald confirmed the crash fell within city jurisdiction and that LAPD would handle the investigation, with the West Hollywood Sheriff’s station responding to assist.

Sgt. Luvano also told us both deputies were transported to a local hospital and were being evaluated for complaints of pain. Barrios told WEHOonline he was not injured and declined transport.

LAPD and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department didn’t immediately provide additional information.

It was not lost on many of us at the scene the billboard looming over the crash site.