Dashcam Video Shows the Moment a Police Cruiser Struck 30-Year-Old Gerardo “Jerry” Estrada
The Los Angeles Police Department on Monday released dashcam footage capturing the moment a patrol car fatally struck a skateboarder in Highland Park as officers responded to a felony warrant call in September.
The victim, Gerardo “Jerry” Estrada, 30, a Santa Monica College graduate who was a SMC Film Production Alum, was returning home from work when he was hit by a marked LAPD cruiser traveling north on Figueroa Street with its lights and sirens activated, according to authorities. The collision occurred around 7:15 p.m. on September 19 near Figueroa Street and Piedmont Avenue.
Estrada was riding his skateboard southbound in the center median when the patrol vehicle collided with him, LAPD Capt. Mike Bland said. The force of the impact threw Estrada across the street and he was found pinned beneath a parked car. Despite officers and paramedics performing life-saving measures, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the officers were en route to help establish a perimeter for a suspect wanted on a felony warrant when the crash occurred. LAPD has not disclosed how fast the patrol car was traveling, but stated preliminary findings show the vehicle was not “driving excessively fast.”
The video is embedded here and is very disturbing. Caution: viewer discretion is advised.
Witnesses attending a nearby carnival at Sycamore Grove Park described hearing a loud, explosive impact and initially believed two cars had collided, which does not seem consistent with the LAPD cruiser traveling at a safe speed.
The case is being investigated by the LAPD’s Multi-Disciplinary Collision Investigation Team, which examines all crashes involving department personnel. The department said it released the dashcam footage as part of its ongoing commitment to transparency.
Estrada’s family and community members have called for a thorough investigation, questioning officer speed and safety protocols during emergency responses and have set up a GoFundMe to pay for his funeral expenses.
