A pedestrian was killed early Monday in a Westside Los Angeles neighborhood when he was struck by an LAPD bomb squad officer who had just left work at Los Angeles International Airport.
The crash occurred just after midnight in the 13600 block of Culver Boulevard in Del Rey. Nearby streets were closed for the investigation and reopened late Monday morning
There are no sidewalks or crosswalks in the neighborhood. Officers described conditions as "foggy, dark" and said the pedestrian, a transient, was wearing very dark clothing.
"This is a tragedy for all involved," said LAPD Sgt. Barry Montgomery said. "Obviously, more so for the man who lost his life, but also for the officer who has to live with this for the rest of his life."
The officer, a 20-year department veteran who was in a bomb squad vehicle, did not initially realize he struck a person, Montgomery said. The officer, who is assigned to LAX, circled back twice to investigate before find the victim.
The officer attempted CPR and called paramedics, but the the pedestrian died at the scene, police said.
NBC4's Vanessa Ruiz and Asher Klein contributed to this report.
