A young police officer was killed Thursday morning in a high-speed collision with a fleeing suspect in the San Gabriel Valley, east of Los Angeles, authorities said. A passenger in the pursuit vehicle also died.
Officer Alec Sanders, who joined the Alhambra Police Department eight months ago after serving with the Long Beach Police Department, died from his injuries at a local hospital, the city’s police chief announced at a news conference.
“He was known for his unwavering reliability,” Chief Garrett Kennedy said, holding back tears. “He was the type of officer who responded to every call, whether he was dispatched to it or not.”
Sanders, 28, was pursuing a gray SUV in Alhambra around 3 a.m. when the collision occurred near Valley Boulevard and Edgewood Drive. The suspect’s vehicle apparently crashed into the officer’s SUV before coming to a stop in a nearby parking lot.
Video from the scene showed extensive damage to the passenger side of the police SUV, with a deployed airbag visible inside.
Cellphone video from Citizen.com showed Alhambra officers escorting an ambulance as it transported Sanders to Los Angeles General Medical Center in Boyle Heights, where he died.
Two of the three people in the SUV were ejected, including a female passenger — initially thought to be the driver — who was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said that a second passenger was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. The driver, said to have moderate injuries, was being questioned. It was unclear what initially prompted the pursuit.
Sanders, who Kennedy described as a respected partner and friend due to his intelligence, work ethic and steady presence, was engaged to be married.
“He was a devoted fiancé and a dedicated family man,” Kennedy said. Sanders is survived by his parents, two younger sisters and a brother. “He will be deeply missed by his family, his friends and his coworkers, who are all one in the same. The Alhambra Police Department is one big family,” Kennedy said.
Valley Boulevard was closed between Date Avenue and South Fremont Street during the investigation.
A short procession from the Los Angeles General Medical Center to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office was held at noon.
Motorcycle officers led the procession, followed by the white Medical Examiner’s van carrying Sanders’ body. Fellow officers and community members were seen following the van on foot.