Police Car Kills Man on Freeway After Accident
A motorist who apparently wandered onto the Santa Monica Freeway after a traffic accident early Saturday was struck and killed by an unmarked Los Angeles police car whose occupants were heading to Century City to provide security for visiting Hungarian Prime Minister Jozsef Antall.
John Bewick, 35, of Los Angeles was killed.
Authorities said the accident occurred about 5 a.m. on the westbound side of the freeway near Fairfax Avenue. Bewick was hit by a Chevrolet driven by Officer Edward Maytorena, 43. Maytorena’s partner, Tim Russell, 38, sustained minor injuries.
Witnesses told authorities that minutes before, Bewick’s westbound car had struck the center divider and overturned. Motorists helped Bewick out of his car to the right-hand shoulder, authorities said.
Witnesses said Bewick wandered back onto the freeway to his car.
“The unmarked (police) car . . . was traveling, we believe, 50 to 55 m.p.h.,” said Cmdr. William Booth, spokesman for the Police Department. “(The officers) saw the overturned car and were passing it to the left . . . (when) the deceased stepped right out from in front of his vehicle and stepped into their path.”
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