L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputy Disciplined After Killing Cyclist While Distracted Typing On In-Car Computer

Pasadena Star News
May. 07, 2015

Following an internal probe, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has imposed unspecified discipline on a veteran deputy who fatally struck a cyclist with his patrol car in Calabasas 15 months ago as he was typing on his in-car computer, officials said.

Deputy Andrew Wood hit and killed prominent entertainment attorney Milton Olin Jr. in the bicycle lane on Mulholland Highway on Dec. 8, 2013. Wood was returning from a fire call at Calabasas High School and was responding to a message from another deputy on his mobile digital computer at the time, authorities said.

Wood is still employed as a sheriff’s deputy, though he transferred from patrol to the courts division shortly after the incident, having made the request about a year earlier.

“I can’t get into the specifics about the administrative action taken because it’s a personnel matter,” department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said. “Administrative action was taken, and he’s exercising his civil service rights ... through the (county’s) Civil Service Commission.”

The commission serves as the administrative appellate body for employees “who have received major disciplinary actions, such as discharges, reductions, suspensions in excess of five days,” according to the commission’s website.

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