Exposition Park, CA - Three Hospitalized After LAPD Patrol Car Collides With SUV

Exposition Park, California (September 17, 2026) - Three people, including two Los Angeles police officers, were taken to the hospital by ambulance after a crash Thursday afternoon, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The collision happened at the intersection of 37th Street and Western Avenue just after 5 p.m., LAPD said. The two officers were on their way to a call at the time.

Officials did not say whether the patrol unit's lights and sirens were activated during the crash, and it remains unclear exactly how the collision unfolded.

Video from the scene showed damage to both vehicles. A dark-colored SUV sustained front-end damage, while the patrol cruiser's damage was concentrated around the driver's-side fender and wheel well. A passenger in the SUV was also taken to a hospital by ambulance.

This is a developing story. Details may change as the investigation continues.

Car Accidents Involving Government Vehicles in California

A crash involving a police vehicle follows a different claims process than an ordinary two-car accident.

• Potential liability points to the officer's driving conduct, the department's policy on responding to calls, and whether emergency equipment was used properly
• Investigators typically examine dashcam and body-camera footage, the LAPD collision report, and radio dispatch logs from the call the officers were answering
• Fault has not been determined. Any claim would proceed under California's comparative negligence rule, which still allows recovery even if the injured party shares some responsibility
• Under the California Government Claims Act, a formal claim against the city must generally be filed within six months of the crash, putting the deadline at March 17, 2027, before any lawsuit can move forward (Govt. Code § 911.2)
• The standard two-year personal injury statute of limitations (CCP § 335.1) still applies once that government claim requirement has been satisfied

Missing the six-month window doesn't just slow a claim down. It usually ends it permanently, regardless of how strong the underlying case is.

That deadline applies whether or not the officers were responding with lights and sirens on. Emergency vehicle exemptions can affect who's found at fault, but they don't affect the filing clock a claimant is working against.

Contact Our California Car Accident Attorneys

Getting hospitalized after a police car hits your vehicle leaves you with medical bills and a claims process that works differently than a normal accident.

Our car accident attorneys have taken on government agencies before and know how to work within the shorter filing deadlines those cases carry.

Dashcam footage, dispatch records, and the department's internal crash report get harder to obtain the longer a claim sits, so acting on this now matters more than it would in a typical fender bender.

We handle these cases on contingency. There's no cost upfront, and nothing owed unless we win for you.

Why Injured Clients Trust Christian Contreras Law

• $200M+ recovered for clients
• More than $30M recovered in 2025 alone
• Takes cases to trial with 7+ jury trials each year
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Talk With a California Car Accident Attorney at (866) 836-6588

Legal Disclaimer

This page is attorney advertising and is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Incident information is based on publicly available reports and may change as the investigation continues. The Law Offices of Christian Contreras is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any law enforcement or emergency response agency. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and no outcome is promised or implied.