Motorist Fleeing Police Kills Cabdriver

A cabdriver was killed early Thursday after a suspect fleeing police in a pickup truck drove through a red light at Fairfax Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood and slammed into his car, police said.

Asatur Tokatlyan, 42, of Hollywood was killed after Jeremy Peterson crashed into his cab as Peterson was leaving the scene of an attempted kidnapping, said Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Kevin Maiberger.

Peterson, 29, of Inglewood allegedly tried to force a woman into his truck shortly before 4 a.m., approaching her near Fairfax and 3rd Street, Maiberger said.

“He attempted to get her into his car, but she made it to hers. He blocked her vehicle with his vehicle and she called the police on her cellphone,” Maiberger said.

Peterson pulled away as police arrived.

But as the woman was telling officers what happened, Peterson’s truck went speeding by, Maiberger said.

Officers pursued him north on Fairfax.

They witnessed the accident that killed Tokatlyan, a married father of two children.

Peterson was taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries.

He will be booked on attempted kidnapping and murder charges, Maiberger said.