Ernest L. Allen Sr., LAPD detective was 52

This news is just as bizarre as it is tragic. Ernest L. Allen Sr., a 27-year veteran of the LAPD who was currently a detective in the Southwest area, was killed off-duty while driving on Loma Vista Drive in Beverly Hills. That is the same hilly street where LAPD officer detective Nick Lee was killed two months ago. Lee died when his car was crushed by a trash truck. Allen died Friday afternoon when a cement-mixing truck overturned. The LAPD says that Allen is survived by his mother, two children, two grandchildren, a sister and a fiancé. He also was a longtime colleague of LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, who was at the scene Friday and expressed disbelief at the circumstances.

Consider the coincidences. I mean wow. These two LAPD officers were both driving outside the city of Los Angeles, in the exclusive upper area of Beverly Hills near the Greystone Mansion. In both cases, a truck lost control on the sloping street and collided with the officers' vehicles. Last week, another cement truck lost control on Loma Vista and smacked into parked cars.

The city of Beverly Hills announced some steps in response to this third truck accident on one street. From the statement:

The City of Beverly Hills has suspended all heavy haul deliveries to and pick up from construction sites in the Trousdale area for 30 days or until measures are in place to ensure that the deliveries can be made safely. Construction project managers will be informed of this restrictions and City building inspectors will be in the area over the weekend. Signage will be installed at the entries to the Trousdale area indicating that heavy delivery to the area is prohibited. Developing and implementing these measures is an immediate priority so that delay to the active construction sites is minimized....

The City of Beverly Hills is aware of the concerns from the community regarding commercial vehicles traveling along Loma Vista Drive and surrounding streets. This is a critical public safety issue which the Beverly Hills Police Department and other City departments are aggressively working together to mitigate future accidents. The police department has significantly stepped up traffic enforcement and commercial vehicle enforcement efforts in the Trousdale area since the beginning of the year. In addition, two speed radar trailers on Loma Vista have been deployed.

Google Maps street view of Loma Vista Drive:

LAPD photo of Allen