An off-duty LAPD officer was arrested on suspicion of driving drunk and causing a crash that killed a teen boy and his parents Tuesday night.
Edgar Verduzco was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI and vehicular manslaughter and is being held on $100,000 bail.
The 26-year-old was driving a 2016 Chevy Camaro ‘at a high rate of speed’ when he rear-ended two vehicles – a 2010 Scion and a 2014 Nissan – while in the carpool lane at around 10.15pm on the southbound side of 605 Freeway in Whittier, according to a California Highway Patrol (CHP) press release.
The impact of the crash caused the Nissan to burst into flames, tragically trapping all three occupants inside.
Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics who arrived to the fiery scene pronounced all three people inside the car dead a short time later.
Edgar Verduzco was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI and vehicular manslaughter and is being held on $100,000 bail. The off-duty LAPD officer was arrested on suspicion of driving drunk and causing a crash that killed a teen boy and his parents Tuesday night (scene above)
The 26-year-old was driving a 2016 Chevy Camaro ‘at a high rate of speed’ when he rear-ended two vehicles at around 10.15pm on the 605 Freeway in Whittier, police say. The impact of the crash caused the Nissan (above) to burst into flames,trapping all three occupants inside
The driver of the Scion has only been identified as a 31-year-old woman. She suffered minor injuries in the crash; it’s unclear if she needed to be taken to a hospital
The coroner said the victims probably won’t be positively identified until at least next week because the bodies are so badly burned.
CHP Officer Al Perez told KTLA that the occupants of that car were a teen boy and his parents who were from Riverside.
Their names have not been released, but Perez said the adults were in their 50s.
The driver of the Scion has only been identified as a 31-year-old woman. She suffered minor injuries in the crash; it’s unclear if she needed to be taken to a hospital.
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck (above) said Verduzco is an Army veteran who did a tour in Afghanistan and joined the LAPD two years ago. He called the situation ‘particularly troubling’
Verduzco, who was off-duty at the time of the crash, sustained a broken nose during the accident.
Perez said there were no open containers in the car, but that Verduzco showed signs of being intoxicated.
The wreck shut down all southbound lanes of the 605 for hours, KABC reported.
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck released a statement regarding the crash and sent his condolences to the family.
‘The Department has no tolerance for for driving under the influence and holds its officers to to the highest standards of professionalism both on and off-duty,’ he wrote in the statement.
‘It is particularly troubling when one of our own police officers violates drunk driving laws, which is why a drunk driving offense always results in a personnel complaint which can lead to dismissal.’
Beck addressed his officer’s arrest at a press conference Wednesday.
‘My heart goes out to the victims and their families and I cannot tell you how angry and disappointed I am that a Los Angeles police officer would disregard the law and cause an accident with such awful, awful consequences,’ Beck said.
‘This is an awful, awful thing.’
Beck shared that Verduzco is an Army veteran who did a tour in Afghanistan and joined the LAPD two years ago.
Verduzco was stationed at the front desk of the Central Division and had an ‘unremarkable’ career thus far, Beck added.
The 26-year-old officer will continue to be paid pending further disciplinary action by the police department.