LOS ANGELES — Funeral services are pending for an off-duty Los Angeles police officer killed in a two-vehicle crash in Simi Valley on Jan. 1.
Patrol Officer Heather Monroe, 30, was a passenger in one of two cars that crashed at Cochran Street and Sycamore Drive, just south of the 118 Freeway, at 2:11 a.m., police said.
Monroe was riding in a vehicle heading south on Sycamore, which collided with another car driven by a person working for Uber, heading east on Cochran, Simi Valley police Cmdr. Robert Brill told the media.
Three other people were injured.
Police determined that one of the vehicles did not stop for a red light. However, they did not specify which one, according to the Ventura Valley Star. Monroe, who was apparently wearing her seat belt, died at the scene.
LAPD Officer Michael Scott who works at the Devonshire Division wrote on his Facebook page:
“I knew and worked with Officer Heather Monroe who was sadly killed in a traffic collision in the early AM hours. When we saw each other at work we always had great conversations ending with well wishes and smiles. She recently became a P-3 [training officer], and honestly was one of the hardest working training officers I’ve seen in a long time,” Scott said.
“Police Officer Heather Monroe was off duty when she was involved in a fatal collision in Simi Valley,” LAPD Public Information Director Josh Rubenstein said. “We understand she was a passenger in the vehicle when it crashed.”
“Losing an officer is devastating, but the pain is intensified for the men and women of the department when it happens during what is supposed to be the happiest time of the year,” Rubenstein added.