Tag: Wilshire Boulevard

SANTA MONICA—On Wednesday, November 6, the Santa Monica Police Department informed Canyon News that a suspect had been arrested in connection to a fatal hit-and-run that transpired on Wilshire Boulevard.

The incident transpired on October 24, in the 1300 block of Wilshire Boulevard, which resulted in the deaths of two pedestrians and serious injuries to two others. The names of those victims have not been disclosed to the public.

Following the collision, the Major Accident Response Team (MART) assumed the lead on
the investigation. Given the seriousness of the incident and the suspect’s efforts to evade
arrest, detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) were brought in to help.

Through extensive investigative work, detectives identified Alex Kristopher Earl Kirksey, 38, as the responsible driver.

He has been charged by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office with two counts of vehicular manslaughter (192(c)(1) PC), two counts of felony hit-and-run resulting in injury (20001(b)(2) VC), and one count of reckless driving (23103(a) VC). Evidence revealed that the involved vehicle had been rented through an online platform and that Kirksey took deliberate steps to avoid detection after the crash, including leaving the state in the days that followed.

The investigation revealed that the person who rented the vehicle traveled to the
scene after the collision, sought details about what occurred, and later assisted the
suspect in leaving the state. The extent of that individual’s involvement remains under
investigation and will be evaluated by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

These findings supported the issuance of search warrants, during which detectives
recovered additional evidence — including contact information and electronic records —
that helped determine Kirksey’s location.

Working with law enforcement partners in the Midwest, detectives with the Santa Monica Police Department tracked Kirksey to Chicago, Illinois. With the help of the Chicago Police Department, he was taken into custody at or near a transit center as he appeared to be attempting to flee further.

Kirksey has been extradited from Illinois and is currently in the custody of the Santa
Monica Police Department.

“This arrest reflects the persistence and professionalism of our investigators, who worked
tirelessly to identify and locate those responsible for this senseless act,” said Interim Chief
Darrick Jacob. “While nothing can undo the pain this tragedy caused, this marks an
important step toward justice for the victims and their families.”

“We are united with law enforcement in seeking justice for Maura Cohen and Brad Lipshy,
who were 61 years old when they were tragically killed simply exiting a restaurant, and the
two other victims who suffered critical injuries,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney
Nathan J. Hochman. “I’m thankful to the Santa Monica Police Department for their
thorough work on this ongoing investigation and our prosecutors who worked around the
clock with investigators to ensure the defendant would be arrested and face his day in
court. We have a message for criminals: You will not escape the law. Our office will
continue to advocate for the victims as the case progresses through the criminal justice
system.”

Anyone with additional details to this case is asked to contact Traffic Investigator Lantz Lewis at (310) 458-2201 ext. 5311, or the Watch Commander (24 hours) at (310) 458-8427.

 

By Danny Jones

BEVERLY HILLS—On Wednesday, September 24, the city of Beverly Hills posted on its Facebook page that construction has started on Wilshire Boulevard near Whittier Drive. It began Wednesday night and will continue through Saturday, October 4.

Construction is to complete MWD water line infrastructure upgrades being performed by the developer of the One Beverly Hills project.

Work will be performed nightly from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. There will be no work conducted on Sundays or Yom Kippur.

Drivers should expect:

-Closure of one eastbound lane on Wilshire Blvd near Whittier Dr
-Eastbound left turns onto Whittier will remain open
-All of Merv Griffin Way is closed with no access

Motorists are asked to drive cautiously in the region and allow extra travel time. Water will not be impacted during the pipeline work.

For more information contact the Construction Hotline at (424) 252-1338.

 

By Danny Jones

BEVERLY HILLS—The city of Beverly Hills announced on its website that drivers should expect modifications to Wilshire Boulevard starting Monday, October 16 as construction on the One Beverly Hills residential and hotel development project begins.

Since 2022, site preparation activities have been underway for the project, which will include a mix of luxury residences, hotel rooms, and landscaped gardens across the site’s 17.5 acres. It is slated to open in 2027. The project site sits adjacent to the Beverly Hilton and Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills near the intersection of North Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard.

Starting October 16 and running through March 2024, the project’s construction team will be working to relocate utility lines along Wilshire Boulevard. The work will take place in the right-of-way and will consist of trenching and pipe installation from the western city limit to Whittier Drive.

To complete the work, existing landscaped medians and gateway monument signs along Wilshire Boulevard will be temporarily removed. The six Date Palm trees located in the median will be preserved and stored for future re-planting.

During the course of the construction, intermittent lane closures will occur in a phased approach. The first phase will consist of a one-lane closure in each direction along Wilshire Boulevard to Trenton Drive Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The second phase will involve longer-term closures of two lanes on Wilshire Boulevard (alternating between east and westbound directions) and eastbound left turn restrictions at Whittier Drive and Trenton Drive. The lane closures during this phase will be continuous, and active work will transpire Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more details about project construction, visit obhconstructionhelpline.com.

By Trevor

SANTA MONICA—The city of Santa Monica reported on its website that construction for safety enhancements on Wilshire Boulevard on the corridor between Ocean and Centinela Avenues is slated to begin on Monday, May 1. Developed as part of the Wilshire Safety Study, which evaluated the 2.4-mile corridor, incorporated community feedback and crash data analysis to determine the most effective and high-impact approach to enhancing transportation safety and transit service. The modifications aim to enhance safe routes to schools while also promoting pedestrian and bicycle travel to nearby establishments such as grocery stores and health care facilities.

“I am thrilled about the upcoming safety improvements to Wilshire Boulevard,” says Santa Monica Mayor Gleam Davis. “These changes will enhance the safety of our residents and visitors while promoting a more walkable and livable community. Santa Monica is committed to intelligent street design that promotes safety, equity, and accessibility for all modes of transportation.”

Planned Wilshire Boulevard improvements include:

-Infrastructure Upgrades: Complete repaving of Wilshire Boulevard followed by improved road markings, refreshed crosswalks, and painted areas to make it clearer where pedestrians can cross.

-Pedestrian Visibility: Highly visible flashing beacons at five intersections will signal to motorists that they must yield to the pedestrian crossing the street.

-Hot Spot Solutions: To reduce the number of collisions at 14 intersections without traffic signals, the side streets will be restricted to right turns only. Although few vehicles continue straight or turn left at these intersections, they are involved in a disproportionately high number of collisions. Approximately one out of every five collisions at these locations occurs when drivers make a left turn or continue straight.

-Transit Improvements: Bus stops will be marked with bright red pavement to discourage private vehicles from blocking them. Loading zones will be installed next to bus stops so that vehicles have a space to pick up and drop off passengers without creating blockages. Bus stop enhancements will improve transit service for Big Blue Bus Route 2, and Metro Routes 20 and 720. Transit ridership is expected to increase in the Wilshire Boulevard corridor upon completion of the Metro Purple (D Line) subway extension to Westwood, scheduled to open in phases between 2024-2027.

-Better Bike Connections: Special markings at four intersections will create dedicated space for cyclists to safely cross Wilshire Boulevard.

“With these changes, the community is taking a major step toward realizing our Vision Zero goal of eliminating fatal and severe injury crashes from our streets by 2026. Additionally, we will be able to provide faster and more reliable bus service for our customers, ultimately making it easier for them to access all that Santa Monica and the Westside has to offer,” said Ed King, Director of the Santa Monica Department of Transportation. “We are committed to creating a transportation network that meets the needs of our community, and these improvements are an important step towards that goal.”

The commu

nity engagement process which lasted over a year, included close to 20 presentations to neighborhood groups and schools, stakeholder meetings, on-the-street canvassing, digital outreach, and a comprehensive social media campaign. Forty percent of public comments identified difficult crossing conditions as a concern on Wilshire Boulevard.

The improvements are part of a comprehensive initiative to make the street more accessible for pedestrians and will continue with Phase 2 next year. Phase 2 improvements are in the design stage and will focus on more permanent changes like concrete curb extensions, and improved lighting.

For more details about the Wilshire Boulevard Safety Enhancements, visit santamonica.gov/mobility-projects/wilshire-boulevard-safety-enhancements.

By Donald