NORTHRIDGE, CA – A fatal car crash in Northridge has resulted in the death of two individuals, one of whom was an off-duty officer from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The officer, Darrell Cunningham, was a member of the LAPD’s West L.A. Division, as confirmed by the department.
The accident occurred around 1:15 a.m. on Saturday near the intersection of Roscoe Boulevard and Lindley Avenue. Cunningham was in a white Infiniti with an off-duty deputy from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and another passenger when they were struck by a vehicle moving at high speed. The speeding vehicle, driven by 20-year-old Brian David Oliveri, ran a red light at over 100 miles per hour, colliding with Cunningham’s car.
Authorities suspect that Oliveri was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. After the collision, Oliveri’s vehicle crashed into a nearby apartment, causing significant damage. A resident of the apartment, Adriel Yadegar, described the incident as a loud explosion that shook the entire building.
Cunningham and the passenger in the front seat of his vehicle were killed in the crash. The identity of the other deceased passenger is being withheld until authorities are able to identify the next of kin. The off-duty deputy from San Bernardino County, who was also in Cunningham’s car, was severely injured but is expected to survive, according to LAPD Chief Michel Moore.
Oliveri is currently in critical condition and unconscious in the hospital. Upon his release, he will be charged with gross vehicular manslaughter, with additional charges pending. A female passenger in Oliveri’s vehicle managed to escape the wreckage with serious injuries but is expected to survive.
Cunningham, who had served in the LAPD for nearly five years, leaves behind a fiancée, two young sons, his mother, and two brothers. LAPD Chief Moore described all the passengers in Cunningham’s vehicle as “lifelong friends”. A memorial has been set up at the West L.A. precinct where Cunningham worked, with colleagues leaving flowers, cards, and candles in his memory.