Potential Fixes Proposed for Deadly Beverly Hills Street

Beverly Hills residents, officials discuss possible changes to steep street where LAPD officers died

A series of crashes along Loma Vista Drive in Beverly Hills involving large cement and dump trucks, including those that killed two LAPD officers in separate accidents, has spurred proposals for permanent measures aimed at preventing such accidents in the future.

During a special meeting Thursday with two traffic commissioners and two city councilmembers, local residents voiced their concerns about the steep roads in the neighborhood and a number of possible solutions were considered.

Possible plans include road striping, stiffer fines for weight violators and daily inspections for vehicles with more than three axles or weighing more than 26,000 pounds. Officials may also consider limiting construction permits in the area.

Resident Christina Simons said she wants to see an extension of a 30-day moratorium placed on heavy hauling vehicles following the most recent fatal collision in the Trousdale area until a permanent solution can be found.

“It’s urgent for more enforcement and if they say they don’t have the resources then they can bring in outside resources,” Simons said.

City leaders said they are considering all possible plans, but maintain that they have been responsive since the safety of the steep streets came into question.

“It’s not a matter of there not being enforcement. There has been consistent enforcement and it’s been stepped up since we saw these accidents,” City Manager Jeff Kolin said.

LAPD Officer Nicholas Lee was killed and his partner seriously injured March 7 when a dump truck collided with their patrol car near the intersection of Loma Vista Drive and Robert Lane. A preliminary investigation showed the dump truck driver may have lost control due to brake failure.

A cement truck driver lost control on the same street May 2 and crashed into several cars before flipping on its side.

Off-duty LAPD Detective Ernest Allen Sr. was killed May 9 when a cement truck crashed into his pick up truck on Loma Vista Drive, just 25 yards from where Lee was killed.

The Beverly Hills City Council will likely discuss the new suggestions at its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday, but will wait to make any final decision until it receives the results of a commissioned traffic study next month. 

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