Four-Vehicle Crash in Manhattan Beach Kills One, Injures Officer

At about 10:12 p.m. on Friday, October 9, an on-duty Manhattan Beach Police Department officer saw a collision in the intersection of Aviation Boulevard and Manhattan Beach Boulevard, and the officer’s patrol car and another vehicle were then struck, according to an MBPD statement. Four vehicles were involved in all, including the marked police car.

Officers and Manhattan Beach Fire Department crews found several people hurt. One person was declared dead at the scene. Others were taken to a local hospital, including the officer, whose injuries police described as not life-threatening. The conditions of the other injured people were not released.

Police closed Manhattan Beach Boulevard in both directions after the crash. By Saturday morning, one lane each way was open between Aviation Boulevard and Redondo Avenue, The MB News reported.

Manhattan Beach police are leading the investigation. By October 12, 2026, the department had not said what set off the chain of collisions or who was killed, and it was asking witnesses to reach its traffic division. No driver has been publicly faulted.

In multi-vehicle crashes like this, investigators usually piece together the order of impacts from vehicle damage, the scene, video and witness statements, and that work can take weeks. For readers sorting out a crash of their own, we explain how California fault decisions get made and why it helps to get the police report early. We may update this article as more is released.

When a negligent driver causes a death, close family members can seek damages in a wrongful death case. Our explainer on who has standing to sue walks through the order California law sets. People who were injured may have their own claims, and a share of fault on their part reduces, but does not erase, what they can recover.

The general filing window is two years from the death or injury (Code Civ. Proc. §335.1), and our guide to wrongful death deadlines has more. One more point, since a city patrol car was struck: any claim against a city must start with a written claim, usually within six months (Gov. Code §911.2). Nothing police have released suggests the patrol car caused this crash.

This information is a general overview and is not legal advice; your situation may differ, and consulting a legal professional can help you understand rights that may apply to you.

Relatives of the person killed, and people injured in Friday’s crash, may be able to have Wilshire Law Firm represent them. Our Torrance office on Hawthorne Boulevard is a few miles away, and our South Bay car accident lawyers and Torrance personal injury attorneys handle collisions throughout Manhattan Beach and the beach cities.

A legal professional can obtain the collision report, identify each driver’s insurance, and handle the claims process for a grieving family. We also have a dedicated Los Angeles wrongful death team and fatal car accident lawyers. Meeting with our legal team costs nothing, and there are no fees unless you get paid. See our broader car accident and personal injury practice.

Losing someone, or getting hurt, at a busy South Bay intersection changes everything overnight. Call or write to Wilshire Law Firm and our legal professionals will go over the Manhattan Beach crash, or any other, with you for free. We’re available 24/7, and there are no fees unless you get paid.

Contact Wilshire Law Firm today.