The officer suffered a broken leg and head injuries while investigating an earlier collision, and police later arrested a suspected driver.
LOS ANGELES, CA — A Los Angeles police officer remained hospitalized in stable condition Saturday after a driver struck him during a traffic collision investigation in Sylmar and fled the scene, authorities said.
The officer suffered a broken leg and head injuries in the Friday night crash and was recovering at Providence Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills, according to local reports citing police. The suspected driver was later taken into custody after investigators found a vehicle believed to have been involved abandoned near the Pacoima Wash. The suspect was also hospitalized with a possible brain injury.
Police said the officer was working on foot at the scene of an earlier multi-vehicle collision along Foothill Boulevard when he was struck by a passing vehicle. The Los Angeles Police Department received a call reporting an officer down in the 13500 block of Foothill Boulevard at about 7:45 p.m. Friday.
The driver did not remain at the scene, police said. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics took the officer to a trauma center in serious condition. His condition later stabilized after doctors treated his injuries. Authorities had not publicly identified the officer as of Saturday.
Investigators searched the surrounding area after the crash and located a vehicle believed to belong to the driver in the Pacoima Wash. LAPD officials said the vehicle had been abandoned after the collision. Police continued searching for the driver and eventually traced the investigation to the Pacoima area.
Officers arrested a suspect roughly an hour after the officer was struck. CBS Los Angeles reported that the arrest occurred near Sutter Avenue and Mercer Street, several miles from the crash scene. ABC7 reported that officers had traced the suspected driver to a home on Sutter Avenue before taking one person into custody.
The suspected driver was taken to a hospital after the arrest. ABC7 reported that the suspect was being treated for a possible brain injury. Police had not publicly released the suspect’s identity or announced specific criminal charges as of the latest reports reviewed Saturday.
A witness told NBC Los Angeles that the vehicle that struck the officer appeared to swerve while approaching traffic near the crash scene. Authorities have not released a final determination of what caused the collision, and the circumstances leading to the driver leaving the scene remain under investigation.
The original collision the officer had been investigating involved multiple vehicles, according to police and video from the area. Authorities have not released additional information about whether anyone involved in that earlier crash suffered injuries.
The LAPD investigation remained ongoing Saturday. Authorities had not announced when the injured officer might be released from the hospital or provided further details about his head injuries.
Author note: Last updated August 30, 2026.