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This has been a bad day for the Los Angeles Police Department. Detective George "Mike" Selleh of the Mission station was killed about 3:30 am while riding his motorcycle to a movie set job downtown. He was headed south on the Hollywood Freeway near Highland Avenue when a car in front of him hit the center divider. Selleh swerved to avoid the car, but was thrown from his bike and killed instantly. Because so many other vehicles plowed into the accident scene, possibly thirteen in all, the southbound freeway was closed most of the day for cleanup and investigation.
In an unrelated incident about 10:30 am, Officer David Rodriguez of the North Hollywood station died when his car went off the Ventura Freeway and down an embankment near the Sepulveda Boulevard offramp. The Board of Directors of the Police Protective League issued this statement tonight:
We are deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of Detective George "Mike" Selleh and Officer David Rodriguez. This is a terrible day for the LAPD and for the Selleh and Rodriguez families. Our hearts and prayers go out to the family members of these two officers and to the members of the LAPD family that lost two colleagues today. These two deaths are a tremendous loss for the LAPD and for the community they served. They will be deeply missed by all.