Man in his 90s killed, 2 LAPD officers hospitalized after violent car crash in Sun Valley

SUN VALLEY, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A man in his 90s was killed and two police officers were hurt Monday in a violent car crash in Sun Valley, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Investigators say they will be reviewing the dashcam video from the police cruiser, but at this point, they say it appears the victim pulled out in front of the officers, who were responding to a call.

At the scene, a growing memorial continues to build in honor of the man who was killed, identified by loved ones as Jose Hernandez -- a husband, father, and grandfather.

The crumpled car at the scene was clear evidence of the violent impact. Devastated friends struggled to comprehend the loss. They said Hernandez just celebrated his birthday.

"He was like family, all these years," Carmen Ortega, one of Hernandez's friends, said in Spanish.

Ortega said she had known Hernandez for decades and said he was like family.

Hernandez had just left Ortega's Sun Valley home after picking up a cake for his wife. He only made it to the intersection.

"I just heard the boom," said Liessa Hall. "Hit the car, and it spun and smacked it into here, and then the cop got out and checked the driver of the car that got hit. Opened the door and tried to pull him out, but he was passed."

The tragic collision happened around 2 p.m. on Saticoy Street near Vineland Avenue. Police said the officers were responding with lights and sirens to a call of a violation of a domestic violence restraining order when they collided with the Honda Accord.

"They were eastbound on Saticoy, approaching Cleon, when a vehicle pulled in front of them to make a left turn. They struck that vehicle on the driver's side," said Det. Meghan Aguilar with LAPD.

Hernandez was pronounced dead at the scene.

The two officers -- both 24 years old -- were taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

Investigators will be reviewing the officers' dashcam video, which is automatically triggered when they turn on their lights and sirens, as they try to determine exactly what happened and how fast the officers were going.

Residents say it's a notorious stretch of roadway with numerous accidents.

"It's kind of just becoming normal to see a lot of accidents out here, unfortunately. This is the first time seeing, like, a major fatal one. So, it only seems to be getting worse," Sergio Avelar said.