LAPD Traffic Officer Killed In Off-Duty Crash

PORTER RANCH (CBSLA.com) — Los Angeles police are mourning one of their own Friday – a Valley traffic officer who died in a crash while riding his motorcycle in Porter Ranch.

The officer was identified as 34-year-old John Gasparyan, a Los Angeles Police Department Valley Traffic Division officer. Gasparyan was off-duty at the time of the crash, which happened at about 6:50 p.m. Thursday at Tampa Avenue near Chatsworth Street.

The driver of a white Honda on Tampa had made a U-turn in front of Gaspar onto Chatsworth, police said. She stayed at the scene of the crash and cooperated with the investigation.

Gasparyan was taken to a hospital in critical condition and later died of his injuries. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck confirmed the death on Twitter.

Gasparyan, who was about to celebrate his seventh year of working for the LAPD as a traffic collision investigator, loved motorcycles and posted many photos of himself riding on social media. He leaves behind a wife and a 6-year-old daughter.