Glendale man struck, killed by vehicle; third pedestrian fatality this year

A 67-year-old Glendale man was fatally struck by a vehicle Wednesday night, the third collision this year where an elderly pedestrian was killed, police said.

At 8:30 p.m., Arutyun Basmadzhyan, was hit by a vehicle in an unmarked crosswalk at Kenneth and Cumberland roads, said Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz.

Basmadzhyan was crossing Cumberland where he was struck by the vehicle, which was making a left turn from Kenneth, Lorenz said.

The victim suffered significant head trauma and died of his injuries at 1:25 a.m. on Thursday at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, he said.

The 62-year-old female driver of the vehicle was given a field sobriety test and was not under the influence of alcohol, Lorenz said. She was not arrested, though an investigation is ongoing.

Prior to Wednesday, there have been 22 traffic fatalities in Glendale since 2008, according to a city report.

Of the 23 people killed in the 22 incidents, 11 of them were between 80 and 90 years old and five were between 50 and 60 years old. The majority were of Armenian descent.

Earlier this year, two 86-year-old men were fatally struck by vehicles in separate incidents.

On Jan. 27, Abram Mehrabian was struck and killed by a vehicle on Western Avenue in the crosswalk near Glenoaks Boulevard.

Antranik Melkonian died from head injuries on April 9 after he was struck while illegally crossing five traffic lanes with a shopping cart near Glendale Community College.

The Glendale Police Department is distributing free yellow, reflective slap bracelets and flashlights to protect those walking at night. The items, which bear the message “Look to Live” in several languages, can be picked up at the police station at 131 N. Isabel Ave.

The Glendale Police Department will hold a community meeting discussing traffic safety at 10 a.m. on June 5 in the Central Library auditorium, 222 E. Harvard St. The meeting will be in Armenian.
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Follow Arin Mikailian on Twitter: @ArinMikailian.

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