Downtown L.A. street closures for LAPD officer’s funeral slow commute

Street closures in downtown Los Angeles for the public funeral for an LAPD officer who was killed last week in a Beverly Hills crash was slowing the morning work commute.

The funeral for Officer Nicholas Lee, a 16-year department veteran, was scheduled to start at 9 a.m. at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, after which, a procession will end at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, where Lee will be interred.

To accommodate the funeral, officials closed Hill Street between Ord and 1st streets, Temple Street between Grand Avenue and Broadway, and the northbound side of Grand between 1st and Temple — slowing the morning work commute through downtown after they took effect at 6:30 a.m.

PHOTOS: Fatal collision in Beverly Hills

California Gov. Jerry Brown is scheduled to attend the service, his office announced Wednesday.

The service is open to the public, however officials warned seating inside would be very limited.

Lee died Friday after a dump truck collided with his patrol car in Beverly Hills while he was en route to an “unknown trouble” call in L.A., police said. His partner, a rookie cop three months out of the academy, was released from the hospital Saturday night.

The truck driver was hospitalized but was expected to survive, police said.

The California Highway Patrol’s investigation into the crash at Robert Lane and Loma Vista Drive is ongoing. The cause remains unclear, although authorities are focusing on a mechanical failure with the truck, possibly involving its brakes.

The police cruiser was so mangled rescuers had to peel off the top of the vehicle to free the officers. Lee died at the scene.

The 40-year-old was a married father of two daughters, the LAPD said. He had worked in the Van Nuys, Wilshire and Hollywood divisions, receiving more than 70 commendations.

kate.mather@latimes.com

Twitter: @katemather | Google+