Los Angeles police chief Charlie Beck was in a four- car crash in suburban Ventura County on May 21, when his driver and city vehicle were involved in a crash.
Neither the chauffeur nor Beck were injured, police spokeswoman Nuria Venegas told City News Service. But one of the persons in the other three cars was taken to Simi Valley Hospital tonight for treatment of apparently-minor injuries, a California Highway Patrol dispatcher said.
Nearly three hours after the crash, Beck said via a tweet that “I’m okay and and thankful the others are not seriously injured.
“Thanks for checking on me,” he wrote. “I’ll be back to work tomorrow.”
CHP officers reported there was a four-car crash on the westbound Ronald Reagan (118) Freeway at Stearns Street at 5:50 p.m. That location is about five miles west of the Los Angeles city limits.
The CHP dispatcher told CNS that a pickup truck entering the freeway hit a second vehicle, triggering a chain reaction that also caused damage to the SUV that Beck was riding in.
Aerial pictures showed damage to the side of a large black SUV, apparently driven by Beck’s chauffeur, and two other vehicles with severe front end damage.
Beck, 60, is a veteran Los Angeles police officer who was named police chief in 2009, and who is seeking a second five-year term. His father was a deputy police chief, his wife was an LAPD officer, and two of his adult children are also LAPD officers.
